Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension
by S.P.D. Gold Ranger
Summary: When a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul the Ape King attacks Nick's family, the Ojamajos must band together for one last epic adventure in order to stop Gaul from unleashing an eternal darkness onto the world... FINALLY COMPLETE!
1. Ojamajos Now and Forever

"Am I glad that that's all over," Nick Kelly stated to Momoko Asuka as the two lovers walked down the early morning streets of Misora.

"I'm just glad that we can live a normal life now," Momoko replied. "I'm exhausted from all the adventures we'd been going through..."

Nick had to laugh. He knew that everything that he and his friends had gone through was completely worth it. Just a month ago, Nick and Momoko had reunited with their Ojamajo friends and gone on many a dangerous adventure, all to stop an evil being known as Morticon from covering the world in eternal darkness. Though defeating Morticon had reverted time back to the day that Nick and Momoko had confessed their love to each other, things had been going quite smoothly for the Ojamajos and their numerous friends.

Momoko smiled back at her boyfriend. He was truly someone special. Nick had gone through so much just to ensure her happiness. It was almost too much for her.

"I love you, Nick," Momoko stated, kissing Nick, who quickly returned it.

"I love you, too, Momoko," Nick replied, pulling his girlfriend closer to him.

"You're such a special boy, you know that?" Momoko continued, as if something was prodding her to get her feelings out in the open without a single regard for who may be watching. "All the things you've done for me... for us... it just makes me so proud to be your girlfriend, you know that, Nick?"

Just as they were about to lean in for another kiss, an explosion jolted them back to reality.

"What the heck was that?!" Momoko exclaimed, shaking her head frantically in a vain attempt to find the source of the mysterious explosion.

"It sounds like it came from the suburbs!" Nick replied. "Come on, follow me!!"

Nodding, Momoko followed Nick as they raced back towards the suburbs.

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(They say that those who can't do, teach.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension  
_This Chapter: May 5th, 2008  
Summary: In the sequel to _Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl_, when Nick's parents are attacked by a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul, the Ape King, the Ojamajos will have to come together for one final adventure, because Gaul has wicked designs on this world...  
Author's Notes: I've always wanted to do a sequel to my first big Ojamajo Doremi story, so... well, here it is!!

Disclaimer (just in case): _Ojamajo Doremi_ is copyright Toei Animation. This story, Nick, Haruka, Ichiyou, Riiko, and Yumi (the last two will appear later on in the story) are copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger, circa 2008.

One more thing: This series is going to be dedicated to my father, who passed away just recently. Rest in peace, dad...

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Chapter 1: Ojamajos Now and Forever!

In an abandoned meeting hall deep in the mountain passages, a massive, ape-like figure can be seen sitting on a throne crafted of ape skulls.

"Hmph. Wretched witches. You think Morticon was powerful? You haven't even seen REAL dark power until you've faced me," a gravelly voice stated to nobody in particular as it watched Nick and Momoko through a portal of darkness.

A smaller creature, similar in part to the larger figure, approached and took a bow. "Master Gaul."

"You may speak to me, half-breed," Gaul replied.

"The operation has been completed."

Gaul's smile twisted even further. "Excellent. And the targets have been destroyed?"

"All of them that you requested," the smaller creature responded.

"This should send those witches a message not to mess with Gaul, the Ape King."

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Nick and Momoko let out a collective gasp of shock when they finally spotted the source of the explosion: Nick's house had apparently been blown to bits.

"What happened here?" Momoko wondered.

Just then, something clicked in Nick's head that nearly made him scream. "Oh, my god!! My parents were in the house!!"

That was all Momoko needed to hear. She rushed towards the wreckage and, with surprising strength, threw aside many pieces of rubble.

The flames left behind by the explosion seemed to inch ever closer to the yellow witch apprentice, but she wasn't scared.

"_The gracefulness of a girl who can dream, take this!! Ojamajo Aura Star!!"_

Momoko then unleashed a horde of golden energy bursts that forced the flames to retreat, giving her more room to throw aside the rubble.

About five minutes later, Momoko noticed something.

"Nick!! I think I found them!!" Momoko exclaimed.

Nick hopped over the rubble and charged towards where Momoko was standing. His mother and little sister had a few burns, but were otherwise okay.

"What about _otou-san_? Did you find him?" Nick exclaimed.

Momoko hung her head sadly. Nick took a step back.

_No... no... he can't be gone... he just CAN'T!!_

Nick took a couple steps back, then suddenly rushed away.

"Nick, WAIT!!" Momoko exclaimed, rushing after her boyfriend. She eventually caught up with him outside the door to the Jewelry World MAHO-dou.

Momoko took a look inside. The MAHO-dou had definitely changed since Majorika turned it into a jewelry shop, as per Nick's suggestion.

Momoko suddenly turned around when she heard someone crying. It was then that she noticed Nick crying by the door that led into the Majokai.

"Nick?" Momoko asked softly.

Almost without warning, Nick rushed into Momoko's arms, crying quite loudly.

"It's not fair, Momoko!!" Nick exclaimed. "It's JUST NOT FAIR!!"

All Momoko could do was softly rub Nick's back and whisper "It's okay, Nick... it's okay..."

They stood like that for a while, just taking solace in each other.

"He didn't deserve to die like that, Momoko," Nick stated, tears streaming from his eyes. "He just didn't deserve to die this way..."

Momoko leaned forward and kissed Nick on the cheek. "It's okay, Nick. We'll find out who did this, and rest assured, they're going to pay if it's the last thing I do."

Nick buried his head in Momoko's chest, just happy to be with his girlfriend. "_Arigatou_, Momoko."

After about fifteen minutes, Momoko noticed a door that didn't seem to be there the last time she'd come by.

"I wonder what's behind that door?" Momoko wondered.

"I guess there's only one way to find out," Nick responded, slowly reaching for the doorknob.

Once the door was open, all Nick and Momoko could see was green and yellow light for a few seconds. When the light was clear, Nick could feel a strange magical aura emanating from his wrist. He looked down at his wrist and noticed what appeared to be a green, futuristic-looking watch with a control dial shaped like a star. Momoko had acquired a similar device, only hers was yellow and the control dial was shaped like a pastry.

"What do you think this is?" Momoko wondered.

"Not a clue," Nick responded. Out of curiosity, Nick pressed a button that caused the control dial to rise up so Nick could turn it a few times. The light in the center of the control dial showed a different picture every time Nick turned the dial. He saw a sunburst, a key, a bowtie, a music note, and a moon, in that order.

"I don't recognize any of these powers," Nick noted after scanning the various options on this new device. He turned the control dial back to the music note.

"But under the circumstances, this one looks pretty good," Nick stated. "Let's give it a shot."

Not wasting a single second, Nick raised his hand over the control dial.

"_I won't lose to you!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Nick exclaimed, slamming his hand down on the control dial and causing him to become enveloped in a cocoon of light.

**(Transformation sequence: The control dial of the Magic Bracer spins rapidly before shooting out beams of light that envelop the screen. We can see Nick holding his arms out as the light beams converge on him and form the gloves, boots, and headgear of the uniform. Nick thrusts his right hand into the air, and a ball of green light appears, forming into the main part of the uniform. A flash of light covers the screen, and when we can see Nick again, the transformation is complete. He falls down onto a platform and performs his post-henshin pose.)**

"_The courageous fighter from the Magic Dimension, Kellysi-chi!!"_

Momoko could only stare on. She was clearly impressed by this new transformation. "_Sugoi_..."

Nick took a look at the light that had apparently granted him and Momoko these new powers.

"I wonder what that place really is..." Nick wondered.

"We should probably get to the Majokai," Momoko advised. "Maybe the queen would know something about what's been going on."

Nick nodded, opening the door that led into the Majokai. A bright light surrounded them, but when they could see again, they were jumped by a troop of what appeared to be apes.

"HEY!! Get off of my girlfriend, you little freaks!!" Nick exclaimed, turning the control dial on his Magic Bracer until it showed the sunburst. Slamming the control dial down, Nick rose into the air, gathering energy around him.

"TAKE THIS!!" Nick exclaimed, a massive energy ripple emanating from him, easily vaporizing the apes while leaving Momoko unharmed.

"Hey, don't leave me out of the fun!!" Momoko exclaimed, turning her own control dial to the music note.

"_There's nowhere I won't go for you!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

Momoko gave a cute little wink that caused Nick to blush before striking her own post-henshin pose.

"_The exotic beauty from the Magic Dimension, Momoko-chi!!"_

Momoko wasted no time in turning her own control dial towards what appeared to be a heart. Slamming the dial down, Momoko gave a sultry wink before spinning her hands around and thrusting them forward, creating a heart-shaped energy ripple that enveloped all of the nearby ape soldiers, causing their eyes to go heart-shaped, giving Nick the opportunity to unleash his own energy ripple that obliterated the rest of the apes.

"Okay, now that THAT'S over... WOULD SOMEONE MIND TELLING ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Nick exclaimed, never known for being patient.

"That's what I want to know, too," Doremi Harukaze answered. She was in a witch apprentice uniform as well, complete with the same watch that Nick and Momoko had acquired.

That was when Nick noticed the sadness in Doremi's eyes. "Doremi-chan, what happened?"

"My... my father..." was all Doremi could squeak out.

"You, too, Doremi-chan?" Momoko wondered.

"It happened to us, too," Aiko Senoo stated, leading the rest of the Ojamajos towards this little gathering. All of them were wearing witch apprentice uniforms and had the watch-like transformation devices on their wrists.

"Someone's been attacking our families," Poppu Harukaze noted, "but we don't know why..."

"Could it be revenge?" Hazuki Fujiwara stated, on the verge of a breakdown.

"Not sure," Onpu Segawa continued. "Morticon's gone, and I have no idea where Erika's gone..."

Fami Harukaze took a look at the glowing sky of the Majokai. "I really don't know what's going on, but it's scaring me to heck and back..."

"Hana-chan is scared... Hana-chan wants her mommy!!" Hana Makihatayama exclaimed, flailing her arms about rapidly.

"You're not the only one, Hana-chan," Haruka Reisei continued, brushing a few strands of her hair away from her face.

"Does anyone know where the queen is?" Ichiyou Kitakaze wondered, clinging to Haruka's arm. Haruka and Ichiyou had acquired quite the special bond once they'd reunited.

"I am right here, my apprentices," the majestic voice of the queen responded as her luminescent form made her appearance in front of the eleven Ojamajos.

"I am glad you are here, everyone. This world and your world are in terrible danger," the queen explained. "Someone who calls himself Gaul the Ape King has declared war on this world. He is definitely not to be trifled with, as he holds unfathomable power."

"Wait. Is this Gaul character the same freak who killed my father?!" Nick exclaimed.

"Indeed," the queen responded. "But now, you hold the power to fight back. You all have been exposed to the energies of the Magic Dimension, the very source of the Majokai's magical powers. The Magic Dimension has granted you new abilities. Use them wisely to repel Gaul's forces from this dimension."

"You'd better believe we will, your majesty," Nick replied.

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We switch scenes to a concert hall, where a girl with long blonde hair tied into two fluffy ponytails can be seen singing.

"_Yume? (day dream)  
__Tada no yume (sweet dream)  
__Na no ni unmei (zutto)  
__Furueteru (zutto)  
__Koi o shitte (missing)  
__Kuchibiru ga (wishing)  
__Setsunasa ni anata dake o yonden da..."_

Once the song was finished, the girl looked down with a melancholy gaze.

"Why did they betray me?"

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Next time:

Chapter 2: The Music of Terror

When a famous pop singer arrives in Misora, many teenagers begin to fall into comas. The only connection? They were all listening to a certain song...


	2. The Music of Terror

"A moment, Master Gaul?"

"You may speak to me, half-breed."

"It seems that the targets have been exposed to the Magic Dimension and have gained new powers."

Gaul growled at this.

"Typical of that queen to instill hope in those wretched witches. When will she learn that there is no hope for the two worlds?"

Gaul twirled his staff in his hands. "The Night of Eternal Darkness is approaching rapidly. This is our one chance to bring the master back, and I will not have a bunch of kids standing in my way. Send the first battalion to the city and crush them any way you see fit."

The smaller ape bowed respectfully. "Yes, Master Gaul."

And with that, the smaller ape disappeared from sight. Gaul's face showed a twisted smile and eerie green eyes.

"Those witches will know fear. I will make sure of that myself."

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"Majorika?" Nick called as he and the Ojamajos re-entered the Jewelry World MAHO-dou. They were all in their regular clothes now, and the transformation devices can be seen strapped to their wrists.

"Is she even here?" Hana wondered, searching frantically for the Ojamajos' magical teacher.

"DOWN HERE!!"

Out of curiosity, Nick's gaze shifted downwards, towards a green blob with a purple jewel around her neck.

"AGAIN, Majorika?" Nick noted. "You must really like being a _majogaeru_..."

"It's not my fault that I'm like this!!" Majorika exclaimed. "Some ape freak came here and zapped me, and the next thing I know, I'm a green blob again!!"

"What does she mean by ape?" Onpu wondered.

"Gaul. He's been messing around here, too," Nick stated, referring to the Ojamajos' newest enemy, Gaul the Ape King. Gaul was responsible for the attack on the Ojamajos' families, and he was looking for revenge after being sealed in the Darkness Dimension over six thousand years ago.

"The question is, what does he have planned?" Nick wondered. Suddenly, a song began playing on the radio.

"_Yume? (day dream)  
__Tada no yume (sweet dream)  
__Na no ni unmei (zutto)  
__Furueteru (zutto)  
__Koi o shitte (missing)  
__Kuchibiru ga (wishing)  
__Setsunasa ni anata dake o yonden da..."_

"Isn't that Yumi singing that song?" Onpu wondered. "She's quite the famous pop singer, from what I've heard..."

"Looks like you've got some competition, Onpu-chan," Fami joked. Onpu couldn't help but blush.

"Oh, Fami-chan, you're flattering me..."

A loud crashing sound brought the Ojamajos back to reality when they noticed that Hana had fallen unconscious.

"HANA-CHAN!!"

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(They say that those who can't do, teach.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension  
_This Chapter: May 6th, 2008  
Summary: In the sequel to _Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl_, when Nick's parents are attacked by a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul, the Ape King, the Ojamajos will have to come together for one final adventure, because Gaul has wicked designs on this world...  
On Today's Episode: When teenagers all over Misora fall into comas, the Ojamajos must investigate. It turns out that someone is using a famous pop singer's songs to cause havoc in the city...

Disclaimer (just in case): _Ojamajo Doremi_ is copyright Toei Animation. This story, Nick, Haruka, Ichiyou, Riiko, and Yumi (the last two will appear later on in the story) are copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger, circa 2008.

One more thing: This series is going to be dedicated to my father, who passed away just recently.

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Chapter 2: The Music of Terror

"Oh, my god! Hana-chan, are you okay?!" Doremi exclaimed, shaking the flower-born witch apprentice. No response.

"Don't tell me she's..." Doremi asked, tears coming from her eyes.

"She's just unconscious, Doremi-chan. I can still sense Hana-chan's magical aura, so she should be okay. I wonder what just happened?" Nick wondered.

"Something's not right here..." Fami continued. "I'm sensing a collection of toxic psychic waves coming from somewhere in this room..."

"_Yume? (day dream)  
__Tada no yume (sweet dream)  
__Na no ni unmei (zutto)  
__Furueteru (zutto)  
__Koi o shitte (missing)  
__Kuchibiru ga (wishing)  
__Setsunasa ni anata dake o yonden da..."_

"THERE!! The toxic waves are coming from that radio!!" Fami exclaimed.

"Quick, shut it off!!" Momoko exclaimed. Nick was already on it, dispatching the radio with a quick Ojamajo Arrow of Light.

"Jeez, Kellysi-chan, did ya have to be so thorough?" Aiko wondered, crossing her arms.

"It's just like Fami-chan said: something's not right here," Nick explained. "I've got this really bad feeling that Gaul is up to something. We'd better see if we can find out what..."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Nick noticed that at the door was a girl about their age with long blonde hair tied into two fluffy ponytails. She was wearing a pink, heart-encrusted jacket and skirt, and was carrying a microphone in her right hand.

"No way. NO WAY!! Is that Yumi?" Onpu wondered.

"Don't tell me you're _jealous_, Onpu-chan?" Haruka teased.

"Well, maybe a little," Onpu admitted. "I mean, though I am a musical sensation over here, Yumi's a sensation all over the world! It's enough to make anyone jealous of her..."

Suddenly, something clicked in Aiko's head. "Wasn't that Yumi singing that song that was on the radio?" Aiko wondered.

As Onpu let Yumi into the shop, Aiko did something completely out of the blue: she rushed over and grabbed Yumi by the shirt collar, lifting her into the air with surprisingly little effort.

"YOU were the one singing that song!! YOU'RE the reason why Hana-chan's unconscious right now, you little..." Aiko exclaimed.

"HEY!! I didn't do anything wrong!!" Yumi exclaimed.

"Ai-chan, put Yumi-chan down. NOW," Momoko stated, emphasizing quite heavily on the last word. "She didn't know anything about that. This is Gaul's fault, not Yumi-chan's."

Sighing heavily, Aiko released Yumi, allowing her to drop to the ground.

"Sorry about that," Momoko stated, walking up to Yumi and shaking her hand. "Ai-chan's pretty much achieved a mastery at jumping to conclusions."

"Yeah, I noticed," Yumi responded. "Listen, Momo-chan... I've got a bit of a problem..."

"You know her, Momo-chan?" Poppu wondered.

"Yumi-chan was one of my childhood friends, though I don't think I told any of you that," Momoko explained. "What's wrong, Yumi-chan?"

"You know that cover I did of Misato Aki's _Kuchibiru Daydream_?" Yumi explained. "That's the problem: people have been falling into comas ever since the single came out. I'm getting a little worried..."

"I've got a feeling that Gaul is behind this..." Doremi noted to herself, hoping not to reveal their secret to Yumi.

"Are you kidding me, Doremi-chan? This practically REEKS of Gaul," Nick replied.

"What are you guys whispering about?" Yumi wondered.

"Oh, just something we were discussing the other day," Nick quickly interjected. _That was too close..._

With that, Yumi turned back to Momoko. "I don't think that they know..."

Momoko couldn't help but laugh at this. "I guess I still haven't told them that you know..."

"You think we should?" Yumi wondered.

"Nah. We'll keep it our little secret for now," Momoko continued.

Turning back to the Ojamajos, Yumi clasped her hands together. "So, will you guys help me?" Yumi asked.

"Of course, Yumi-chan," Nick responded. "Anything for an old friend."

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Gaul took a look up at the two moons that were drawing ever closer to each other with each passing second.

"The Celestial Moons are making their alignment. Once they are together, we will be able to release the master and exact our revenge on those wretched witches."

Gaul took a good look at his glowing staff. "Soon enough, master. Soon enough."

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As the Ojamajos continued the search for whatever was causing the people of Misora to fall into comas because of Yumi's songs, Yumi suddenly tapped Nick on the shoulder.

"Say, Nick-kun... I'm sorry about what happened to your father..." Yumi stated, offering a sympathetic look. "I assure you, Gaul is going to pay for this."

This really surprised Nick. "Wait a minute, Yumi-chan, how did you know about Gaul?" Nick wondered.

"Momo-chan told me. I've actually known about your secret for a while, but I'll keep that secret a secret from the others for a while, okay?" Yumi explained, to which Nick nodded.

Just then, Nick noticed a purple energy aura coming from the radio tower at the center of the city.

"Wait a minute, girls! I'm sensing an evil energy aura at the top of the radio tower!! Maybe that's where those toxic psychic waves are being projected from!!" Nick exclaimed.

"If that's true, then we'd better get there, and FAST!!" Momoko exclaimed.

However, when they got to the top of the radio tower, someone was already waiting for them.

"Gaul!!" everyone exclaimed.

"Well, well," Gaul stated menacingly, brandishing a pair of VERY sharp longswords. "It appears my fame is known even here."

"Can it, ape boy!! Just what the hell do you think you're doing here?!" Nick exclaimed, quite angry.

"Simple. I need more energy if I am to proceed with my plan, and what better way to gather the necessary pure energy than from the teenagers of this putrid city?" Gaul explained.

"You're making me look bad!!" Yumi exclaimed. "I don't need this kind of publicity!!"

Nick growled, turning the control dial on his Magic Bracer. "You're the one who killed my father, aren't you?!"

Gaul smiled wickedly. "I believe that would be me."

"I'll NEVER forgive you for that!!" Nick exclaimed, slamming his hand down on the control dial.

_"I won't lose to you!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

"Oh, please. You really think a change of uniform is going to stop me?" Gaul taunted.

_"The courageous fighter from the Magic Dimension, Kellysi-chi!!"_

"Very well. If you wish to die like this," Gaul stated, putting his swords into a battle stance. "Let's go."

Nick charged forward, drawing his wand and ripping forward with a horizontal strike that Gaul just barely dodged. The Ape King responded with a quick and vicious slice that Nick was able to deflect, countering with a side strike.

"I will admit this. You are quite skilled for someone of your age," Gaul stated. "But even you are no match for me. When the Night of Eternal Darkness arrives and the Celestial Moons align, I will cover this world in darkness, and there will be nothing that you wretched witches can do about it."

"Um, you wanna run that by me again?!" Nick exclaimed, quite pissed off. "First, you kill my father, and now you want to plunge our world into darkness?! NOT ON MY WATCH, BUDDY!!"

Nick quickly turned his control dial to the sunburst and slammed it down, creating a rather large series of energy ripples that knocked Gaul right to the ground.

"So, you are strong. That will not be enough to stop me. We will meet again, wretched witches," Gaul stated with a vicious laugh before disappearing in a flash of dark energy.

"Nick!!" Momoko exclaimed, pointing to the radio tower. Nick immediately got the message, reverting out of his Ojamajo clothes and joining hands with Momoko.

_"Asobu soba de sakiyaki sore!!"_

_"Peruton petton pararira pon!!"_

Nick and Momoko began glowing with a bright silver light.

_"PURIFICATION!!"_

A bright burst of light erupted from the two, shooting towards the radio tower and causing the evil energy aura to disappear.

"YES!!" Aiko exclaimed. "Another job well done!!"

"We'll still need to be on our guard, Ai-chan," Momoko advised. "Now that Gaul knows we're trying to stop him, he's probably never going to leave us alone."

"Remember, guys, if you ever need any help, don't hesitate to call me, okay?" Yumi stated, to which everyone nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a recording session to get to. Sakura-san's going to kill me if I'm late again..."

And with that, Yumi was off.

"She's gonna be a really good friend. Don't you think so, Nick?" Momoko asked.

Nick could only nod.

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It's 3 AM at the Jewelry World MAHO-dou, and Hana is wide awake. Her eyes are red, and she doesn't really look too happy.

"Why can't Hana-chan sleep? Maybe Hana-chan needs a bedtime story..."

With that, Hana hops out of bed and exits the shop, searching the nearby houses.

Once she finds what she's looking for, Hana knocks twice on the front door.

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Next time:

Chapter 3: Ojamajo Style – Sleeping Beauty

It's VERY late, and Hana can't sleep. And that can only mean trouble. Luckily, Nick's got the perfect bedtime story...


	3. Ojamajo Style: Sleeping Beauty

It's 3 AM at the Jewelry World MAHO-dou, and Hana is wide awake. Her eyes are red, and she doesn't really look too happy.

"Why can't Hana-chan sleep? Maybe Hana-chan needs a bedtime story..."

With that, Hana hops out of bed and exits the shop, searching the nearby houses.

Once she finds what she's looking for, Hana knocks twice on the front door.

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Nick looks out the nearby window, still unable to sleep.

"It's been five days, and I haven't been able to sleep at all because of what Gaul has done..." Nick states to nobody in particular. "I'm just glad that _okaa-sama_ and _onee-chan_ are safe in the Majokai..."

Nick sighs before looking up at the stars that dotted the sky. The sun was just beginning its slow ascent over the horizon.

"The girls have been so supportive... I don't think I could ever thank them enough for everything they've done..."

It was just then that Nick heard a knock on his door. Hopping off of his bed, Nick followed the source of the sound to his front door. When he opened it, he noticed Hana standing there, her clothes rumpled and a VERY sleepy look in her eyes.

"Hana-chan?" Nick wondered. "It's almost four in the morning... is something wrong?"

Hana just blurted it right out. "HANA-CHAN CAN'T SLEEP!!"

Nick nearly fell down from the force of this outburst.

"Hana-chan wants a bedtime story... Doremi-mama always used to tell me stories like that..."

Suddenly, Nick's eyes glittered. "Come on in, Hana-chan. I think I've got just the story for you..."

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(They say that those who can't do, teach.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension  
_This Chapter: May 13th, 2008  
Summary: In the sequel to _Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl_, when Nick's parents are attacked by a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul, the Ape King, the Ojamajos will have to come together for one final adventure, because Gaul has wicked designs on this world...  
On Today's Episode: It's almost three in the morning, and Hana can't sleep. And that usually means big trouble. However, it seems like Nick has the perfect story for this situation...

Disclaimer (just in case): _Ojamajo Doremi_ is copyright Toei Animation. This story, Nick, Haruka, Ichiyou, Riiko, and Yumi (the last two will appear later on in the story) are copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger, circa 2008.

One more thing: This series is going to be dedicated to my father, who passed away just recently.

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Chapter 3: Ojamajo Style – Sleeping Beauty

"Wow, Nick, you really have a nice place," Hana commented as she followed Nick to his bedroom.

"Thanks, Hana-chan. It's not much, but it's home," Nick replied. "Hana-chan, have you ever heard of Sleeping Beauty?"

Hana shook her head. "Not sure..."

Nick smiled. "Then listen well. Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a king and queen that had just had a child. She was very beautiful, and was loved by her people..."

Hana smiled, closed her eyes and began to visualize the tale of Sleeping Beauty while Nick did the narrating...

_"She is such a lovely child," the king (who bears quite a striking resemblance to Akatsuki) states as he watches his daughter (who seems strikingly similar to Hana)._

"_The fairies should be here any minute with their gifts for the princess," the queen (who looks a lot like Doremi) noted just as three girls in fairy outfits arrived._

"_The princess looks lovely in her slumber," the first fairy (who resembles Hazuki) notes, waving her wand over the princess. "I shall give her the name Hana, after the beautiful flowers that grow here in the palace."_

"_I shall give her a beautiful voice to match that of the goddesses," the second fairy (who looks a lot like Aiko) states, also waving her wand over Princess Hana._

_Before the third fairy (who looks quite similar to Onpu) could talk about her gift for the princess, a cloud of dark magic appeared in the center of the throne room, and from it emerged the land's wicked witch (who, oddly enough, resembles Oyajide, poofy hair and all)._

"_Such a lovely princess," Oyajide taunted. "Just makes me sick."_

"_You've got some nerve showing your face here, wicked witch," Doremi exclaimed. "Just what do you think you're doing here?!"_

"_I have my own gift for the princess," Oyajide stated, laughing wickedly. "Princess Hana... such a beautiful young woman... you will be loved and adored by your people, until your sixteenth birthday!! On that day, you shall prick your finger on a spindle and die!!"_

_With that, Oyajide was gone before anyone could react._

_Doremi looked sadly at her newborn daughter. "Poor Princess Hana... is there nothing we can do to avoid this terrible curse?"_

_Just then, Onpu stepped up. "There may still be hope. I have yet to give the princess my gift."_

_Onpu waved her wand over Princess Hana. "On her sixteenth birthday, Princess Hana may prick her finger on a spindle, but she will not die. She will only sleep. And the kiss of true love will awaken the princess and break the spell."_

"Wow," was all Hana could say.

"There's still more to the story, Hana-chan, so pay attention," Nick stated. Hana quickly nodded.

"So, time passed, and Princess Hana grew up to be a lovely young woman. But, as we all know, fate can be a cruel mistress..." Nick narrated.

_Princess Hana, now grown up, can be seen racing towards the throne room._

"_Mother!! Father!! You called me?" Princess Hana asked._

"_The coronation ceremony is today, Princess," Doremi stated. "How about you head back to your room and get ready?"_

"_Of course, dear mother," Princess Hana responded, heading back to her room, where she saw what was thought to have been eliminated from the land._

_Her natural curiosity taking over, Princess Hana reached for the mysterious object, only to prick her finger on it, just as the wicked witch predicted. The evil spell taking effect, Princess Hana fell to the floor, out like a light. The three fairies from before appeared once Princess Hana had fallen asleep._

"_Just as we predicted," Hazuki stated. "The princess has fallen to the curse."_

_"Now all we need to wait for is the one who will come to awaken the princess and break this dreadful curse," Onpu continued._

"So, a couple months passed, in which the castle was covered with thorns to deter any intruders," Nick continued. "The people of the kingdom had been put to sleep, waiting for the valiant one who would awaken Princess Hana from her eternal slumber. A few months later, someone arrived at the castle after overhearing the rumors..."

_Time had passed, and the castle had been covered with a thicket of sharp thorns. Many have tried to break through this barrier, but all have failed. Until now..._

_"So this must be the castle I've heard so much about..."_

_A prince from a faraway land (who looks a lot like Nick) had arrived, hearing the rumors of a castle covered in thorns._

"_I wonder what could have caused this..." Nick wondered, his righteous blade at his side._

"_We have been waiting for you, dear prince," Hazuki's voice states as the three fairies appeared in front of Nick. "Inside this castle sleeps a beautiful princess who has been cursed by an evil witch."_

"_Cursed, huh? Is there anything I can do?" Nick asked._

"_If you truly love the princess, step forward and journey through the castle to defeat this terrible curse," Aiko proclaimed._

"_I'm on it," Nick stated, holding his blade in front of him. "I'll save the princess and teach that wicked witch a thing or two."_

"_One more thing, dear prince," Onpu continued. "We give your righteous blade a special power that will be able to conquer the darkness that has been laid on the castle."_

_Onpu raised her wand, and Nick's sword began to glow with a bright neon light._

_Not wasting any time, Nick brought his sword down on the thorns ahead of him, clearing a path into the castle._

"Was the prince going to be okay?" Hana wondered.

"He met with a lot of dangers, but he easily overcame them, eventually leading up to a battle with the wicked witch himself..." Nick continued.

_Nick quickly somersaulted away to avoid the bursts of dark magic that Oyajide was throwing at him._

"_You just keep running away, valiant prince," Oyajide taunted. "Don't tell me you've given up already!!"_

"_Don't you dare mock me, witch," Nick proclaimed. "I have not yet begun to fight!!"_

_Not taking any more chances, Nick charged forward, swinging his sword and creating a gash in Oyajide's side. "Not bad, prince. Now kneel!!"_

_Lightning shot from the sky towards Nick, who was able to dodge just in the nick of time (sorry, bad pun). Nick gripped his blade tightly, which began to glow with the power that the fairies had gifted him with._

"_All right, witch, no more games!!" Nick exclaimed, charging once more. "THIS ENDS NOW!!"_

_Suddenly realizing that he was in trouble, Oyajide put up a dark shield around himself._

_Taking his chance, Nick thrust his sword forwards, easily breaking through the shield and delivering the final blow._

"_Curse you, prince..." Oyajide stated as he began to evaporate._

_Nick held his sword in a victorious pose. "I warned you not to mess with the power of righteousness."_

_In the next room, Nick noticed the sleeping Princess Hana. "She's lovely..."_

_The fairies appeared once again. "Only the kiss of true love can awaken Princess Hana from this dreadful curse," Onpu explained._

_Nick nodded, reaching towards Princess Hana. After a few seconds, their lips joined, and Princess Hana slowly opened her eyes._

_She smiled upon seeing Nick in front of her. "Hey."_

Nick suddenly heard the sound of snoring. He looked to his right, and saw that Hana was sound asleep. Nick couldn't help but smile, covering Hana with the bed sheets and lightly patting her on the head.

"Sweet dreams, Hana-chan."

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"A moment, Master Gaul?"

"You may speak to me, half-breed."

"Someone has just entered the city that the targets live in. She is emanating a dormant magical power that is literally off the scale."

"Hmm... This could be useful. Prepare my swords. I'll give this new girl a welcoming party she'll wish she could forget..."

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Next time:

Chapter 4: What'd I Do Wrong?

When a new student arrives at Misora High School, she says she doesn't want anything to do with Ichiyou, so the summerleaf witch apprentice must try to uncover what she did wrong...


	4. What'd I Do Wrong?

Seki-sensei can be seen writing a few names on the chalkboard of her classroom, class 11-A. At the very back of the room, Nick and Momoko can be seen sitting together. A few days after Nick and the girls had regained their Ojamajo powers, all of them had transferred back into Misora High School (with the exception of Poppu, who still had one more year of middle school left to take care of) while they waited for any sign of Gaul.

"Well, class, we have a new student joining us today," Seki-sensei stated to her language class. "You can come in, dear."

At this, a young girl walked into the room. She was no older than Momoko, with long brown hair that reached to about her shoulders, framed by bright silver eyes. She was wearing a black shirt and blue skirt. She also had quite a tremendous blush on her face.

_She must be really shy to be blushing like that..._ Nick noted.

"_Ohayou_, everyone," the new girl stated to the class, writing her name twice on the chalkboard, once in Japanese and again in English. "My name is Riiko Izawa, and I'm glad to be here in this class."

Ichiyou looked up, waving to Riiko. Her smile became a glare for some reason.

"I don't want to hear it from you!! I haven't forgotten what you did to me!!" Riiko exclaimed, running out of the classroom in tears.

This odd proclamation left everyone confused, especially Ichiyou. The summerleaf witch apprentice looked at the spot where Riiko just was in complete confusion.

"What just happened?" Ichiyou wondered.

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(They say that those who can't do, teach.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension  
_This Chapter: May 19th, 2008  
Summary: In the sequel to _Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl_, when Nick's parents are attacked by a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul, the Ape King, the Ojamajos will have to come together for one final adventure, because Gaul has wicked designs on this world...  
On Today's Episode: When a new student arrives at Misora High School, she says she doesn't want anything to do with Ichiyou, so the summerleaf witch apprentice must try to uncover what she did wrong...

Disclaimer (just in case): _Ojamajo Doremi_ is copyright Toei Animation. This story, Nick, Haruka, Ichiyou, Riiko, and Yumi are copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger, circa 2008.

One more thing: This series is going to be dedicated to my father, who passed away just recently.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 4: What'd I Do Wrong?

"Um... Leaf-chan? What happened back there?" Momoko wondered.

"I'd like to know that myself, Momo-chan," Ichiyou continued. "I've never really met Riiko-chan before, and yet she says she doesn't want anything to do with me. I'm so confused..."

Nick, however, was more concerned about a mysterious presence he'd felt just minutes after Riiko had entered the room.

_What was that weird aura I just sensed? It's faint, but it practically REEKS of Gaul,_ Nick thought. _What the hell could he be up to here?_

Seki-sensei was still confused. "I don't get it. What did Ichiyou-chan do wrong here?"

Nick stood up from his own seat. "I'll go see if I can find out," Nick stated, heading out the door.

"I'll go with him, okay, Seki-sensei?" Momoko responded, following Nick.

Once they were outside, Nick took a good look at his Magic Bracer, which was flashing an emerald green. Momoko's was flashing a golden yellow.

"Any guess what that flashing means?" Momoko wondered.

"I'm guessing that Gaul has something to do with this," Nick responded.

"I think you may be right. His little minions are here," Momoko continued, pointing towards the square, where a concentration of Gaul's ape minions were waiting for something. Turning the control dial on his Magic Bracer, Nick cleared his throat loudly, causing the apes to look towards him.

"Okay. Now that I have your attention... _I won't lose to you!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

The familiar flash covered the nearby area, causing the apes to cover their eyes for a second or two.

"Don't leave me out of the fun, Nick!! _There's nowhere I won't go for you!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

A yellow burst of light joined the green light coming from Nick as the couple transformed.

"_The courageous fighter from the Magic Dimension, Kellysi-chi!!"_

"_The exotic beauty from the Magic Dimension, Momoko-chi!!"_

"Now, then. What do you ape freaks think you're doing here at our school?" Nick demanded.

"You are not worthy to speak to us," one of the apes responded in a gruff tone.

"I'm not in the mood for this!!" Nick exclaimed, grabbing the leader of the troop by his neck and hoisting him into the air. "I'm only going to ask one more time: WHERE IS GAUL?!"

The troop leader remained unfazed. "Like we'd ever tell you."

Nick smirked, turning the control dial to the sunburst and slamming it down. This created an emerald green energy ripple that turned the apes to stone before shattering them into pieces.

Momoko let her hands rest on her hips. "Did you have to be so thorough, Nick?"

_That's what Ai-chan said to me the other day. _"I swore that Gaul is going to pay for what he's done to us, and I'm not going to let a bunch of apes get in my way," Nick replied.

Momoko couldn't help but smile at her determined boyfriend. "Truer words have never been spoken, Nick."

Meanwhile, out of sight of Nick and Momoko, Riiko can be seen watching the two, an evil look in her eyes.

"There they are. I swear, the summerleaf girl will pay for what she did to me..." Riiko stated to someone behind her.

"Excellent," the unmistakable voice of Gaul replied.

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Doremi looked outside the windows of class 11-C. _I could've sworn I saw something out there..._

"Is something wrong, Doremi-chan?" Onpu wondered, letting her hands rest on Doremi's shoulders.

"I really don't know, Onpu-chan," Doremi responded. "I'm a little worried about that new girl in Momo-chan's class..."

"You mean Riiko?" Haruka continued. "Yeah. Nishizawa-sensei told me that Riiko accused Leaf-chan of something and ran off... I'm concerned about Leaf-chan..."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Haruka-chan," Doremi stated. "Leaf-chan's a good girl. She'll be able to fix this."

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Hazuki looked at the fellow students that surrounded her in class 11-B. She just heard that the new student in Nick and Momoko's class had accused Ichiyou of something she'd never done before and ran off.

Aiko noticed Hazuki's concerned look. "Is everything okay, Hazuki-chan?" Aiko wondered.

"I wish I knew..." Hazuki replied, keeping her voice down so as not to alert her other classmates to what she was referring to. "I'm sensing a very wicked dark energy here... I'm afraid that Gaul might be up to something..."

"Don't worry, Hazuki-mama!!" Hana exclaimed with her usual limitless energy. "That ape guy wouldn't dare try anything with us around!! Hana-chan is sure of it!!"

"I sincerely hope you're right, Hana-chan..." Hazuki stated.

"I'm not too worried," Fami responded. "I mean, we beat Gaul once, and we'll do it as many times as we need to, until he gets the message that he's not going to win."

Fami took Hazuki's hands into her own. "That much I promise you."

Hazuki smiled brightly. "Thanks, Fami-chan."

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"Thanks for helping me, Gaul," Riiko stated, the evil look still in her eyes. "Thanks for giving me the power to make her pay."

"You had the power inside of you all along, my dear," Gaul replied. "I merely helped you bring it to the surface."

"I'm a little curious about something, Gaul," Riiko wondered. "You said that this girl is one of the 'seals'. What does that mean?"

"Simple, my dear. The summerleaf witch apprentice holds within her one of the three seals that binds what I am looking for. Once all three seals are broken, the Eternal Night will be mine to control, and I will finally get my revenge on those wretched magic users who imprisoned me in the Darkness Dimension," Gaul explained.

"I'm glad to be able to help you out, Gaul," Riiko replied.

Just then, Nick and Momoko, still in their witch apprentice uniforms, turned around the corner and noticed Gaul and Riiko.

"I KNEW IT!!" Nick exclaimed. "You're busted, Gaul!!"

"I may be," Gaul responded. "But how quickly you forget. I still have a protégé that will take care of you. Goodbye for now."

With that, Gaul disappeared, leaving Riiko to face down Nick and Momoko.

"Can't we discuss this like rational high school students, Riiko-chan?" Momoko asked, hoping it wouldn't come down to a fight. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Well, that's too sad, because I DO!!" Riiko exclaimed, firing a series of magic bolts for the couple, who easily dodged.

As Nick continually dodged the bursts of dark magic, he searched through the functions on his Magic Bracer, hoping to find something that would turn the tide of this battle.

"All right, let's give this one a shot!!" Nick exclaimed, turning the control dial to the snowflake and slamming it down. The resulting action created a snow-white energy ripple that enveloped Riiko, freezing her in her place.

"GUYS, WAIT!!" Ichiyou's voice exclaimed as the summerleaf witch apprentice appeared on the scene, already turning the control dial on her own Magic Bracer.

"Let me take care of this, okay, you two?" Ichiyou asked.

Nick and Momoko nodded, covering themselves in a bright light and reverting out of their Ojamajo clothes, letting their friend step up.

"All right, Riiko-chan. I still want you to be my friend, but if I have to fight you to prove that, then so be it!!" Ichiyou stated, slamming the control dial down.

"_Beauty comes from the summer winds!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

A bright, leaf-green light enveloped Ichiyou as she transformed.

"You really think YOU'LL be able to stop me?" Riiko questioned as Ichiyou struck her post-henshin pose.

"_The summer mistress from the Magic Dimension, Leaf-chi!!"_

"Why don't you try me, and I'll show you just how skilled I am?" Ichiyou challenged, waving her hand in a 'bring it' motion.

That seemed to be enough to bait Riiko into attacking, as she broke out of her icicle prison and charged forward, lashing out with a flying kick that was easily blocked by the summerleaf witch apprentice.

"You know, I'm not really one to drag things on longer than they should," Ichiyou commented, holding her hands towards Riiko.

"_Sashiki shigeki kakori yozora!! Separate the dark spirit from my friend!!"_

A burst of white light exploded from Ichiyou's hands and enveloped Riiko for a few seconds. When the light was clear, Riiko had fallen unconscious, and a little dark blob was hanging over Riiko's head, obviously trying to get back in.

"Nick!! Momo-chan!! Quickly!!" Ichiyou exclaimed. Nick and Momoko nodded.

"_Asobu soba de sakiyaki sore!!"_

"_Peruton petton pararira pon!!"_

"_PURIFICATION!!"_

With that, the familiar silver light burst forward from Nick and Momoko's hands, causing the dark blob to scream in agony before evaporating, leaving behind a glowing crystal.

"Purification complete," Nick stated. Once the scene was calm again, Ichiyou walked up to the unconscious Riiko, gently shaking her.

"Riiko-chan, are you okay?" Ichiyou wondered. Just then, she heard Riiko crying.

"I'm... I... _gomen-nasai,_ Leaf-chan..." Riiko squeaked out. "I don't know why I EVER trusted Gaul... he told me you'd done something to me that could never be forgiven... Now I've done that very same thing... I don't deserve forgiveness..."

Riiko was surprised to feel Ichiyou's soft hands caressing the sides of her face.

"Riiko-chan. I don't CARE what Gaul told you. We all know he's a bastard. All that matters is that I really want to be your friend," Ichiyou stated to Riiko.

"You... you still want to be friends with me after what I did?" Riiko wondered.

Not giving Ichiyou any time to react, Riiko threw her arms around the summerleaf witch apprentice, her tears flowing freely. "Oh, thank you, Leaf-chan!! Thank you so much..."

Ichiyou happily returned the heartfelt hug. "No problem, Riiko-chan..."

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Over at Misora Middle School, Poppu was just walking out of her art class and was on her way to music class when she heard a low rumbling that seemed to grow every couple seconds.

"What was that?" Poppu wondered.

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Next time:

Chapter 5: Middle School Blues

When Gaul attacks Misora Middle School in search of one of the seals, Poppu must defend the school and her classmates all by herself...


	5. Middle School Blues

"Wow," Poppu stated as she exited her history class. "I didn't think Kimitaka-kun could change so much. I guess it's like Kellysi-chan said. Time has a way of changing people."

Poppu had just finished her history class at Misora Middle School. She was actually very excited, as this would be her final year of middle school before she joined her friends at the high school.

"It's been ages since I've been here, and the staff has all been so supportive of our situation..." Poppu stated to herself, referring to the attacks that had set this whole adventure in motion.

"I just wish I could tell Doremi about how I'm doing... it is kinda weird that Kellysi-chan and the girls would all go out of town for the weekend..."

Nick and the girls had gone on a little class field trip over the weekend, and they probably wouldn't be back until tomorrow, at the very least.

Suddenly, the area began rumbling. Poppu almost dropped her books thanks to the rumblings.

"What was that?" Poppu wondered.

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(They say that those who can't do, teach.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension  
_This Chapter: May 27th, 2008  
Summary: In the sequel to _Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl_, when Nick's parents are attacked by a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul, the Ape King, the Ojamajos will have to come together for one final adventure, because Gaul has wicked designs on this world...  
On Today's Episode: When Gaul attacks Misora Middle School in search of one of the seals, Poppu must defend the school and her classmates all by herself...

Disclaimer (just in case): _Ojamajo Doremi_ is copyright Toei Animation. This story, Nick, Haruka, Ichiyou, Riiko, and Yumi are copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger, circa 2008.

One more thing: This series is going to be dedicated to my father, who passed away just recently.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 5: Middle School Blues

"Nick? Something's wrong," Momoko stated as she looked out the window of the bus.

"What's the matter, Momoko?" Nick responded.

"I'm sensing a far-away dark aura," Momoko continued. "It's faint, but it's coming from the city."

_That can't be good,_ Nick thought. _This just reeks of Gaul, but there's the problem: we're not there to defend the city... I just hope Poppu-chan will be able to keep Gaul at bay until we get back..._

"I'm worried about Poppu," Doremi stated, having felt the same dark aura that Momoko had sensed.

"You're not the only one, Doremi-chan," Nick replied. "She's the city's only defense until we get back. I just hope she'll be able to stop Gaul if he tries anything..."

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"Okay, I KNOW earthquakes aren't supposed to happen here," Poppu stated, rushing towards the gym. "So WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!"

Just then, Poppu sensed something that made her shiver. _What was that weird aura I just sensed?_

Once she reached the gym, she quickly began searching for her homeroom class, only to hear something above breaking. The red witch apprentice quickly dived away from the wood planks that were falling from the broken ceiling.

When she landed, she looked up and noticed Gaul standing there, his swords drawn.

"Well, well. We meet again, little girl," Gaul stated with a menacing growl.

"Look, I'm supposed to be in music class right now, you ape freak!! I REALLY don't like missing my music class!!" Poppu exclaimed, shifting into fighting stance.

"Well, tough luck, girlie," Gaul taunted. "My servants have informed me that one of the seals to the Eternal Night rests within this institution, and I will tear it apart if I must!! You will not be able to stop me once I get my hands on this power!!"

"Oh, yeah?" Poppu challenged. "Why don't you come over here and try me?"

"Very well, young one. It's your funeral," Gaul taunted, bringing his swords into stance.

_Okay. Here's hoping that those martial arts lessons Kellysi-chan gave me will pay off here,_ Poppu thought.

Letting out a roar, Gaul charged, slicing forward with a horizontal swing that Poppu was just barely able to dodge.

Taking a look at her Magic Bracer, Poppu began turning the control dial, expertly dodging Gaul's sword swings all the while.

"Let's see... what should I use?" Poppu wondered, eventually stopping on what appeared to be a wave crest.

"That'll work," Poppu stated, slamming down the control dial and holding her hands out towards Gaul. Almost instantly, a powerful gust of wind burst from Poppu's palms, forcing Gaul back a few feet.

"Like a gust of wind is going to stop me?" Gaul stated, laughing maniacally, only to be cut off when a barrage of pink energy bursts slammed into him, forcing him back even further.

"Get out of my school, you freak!!" Poppu exclaimed, keeping up her attack. "This isn't the place for ape freaks like you!!"

"Very well, hatchling. I do not wish to hurt the young ones, but you leave me no choice," Gaul stated, crossing his swords together. "There can not be any witnesses to my quest."

_He's not going to..._ Poppu thought.

Gaul began gathering energy on the tip of his swords. "No witnesses. It's time for you all to die."

_He is!! He's a psycho!!_ Poppu thought as she quickly turned the control dial of her Magic Bracer to the music note.

_"I'm a cute little sister!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

A bright red light filled the gym for a few seconds.

_"The tiny cutie from the Magic Dimension, Poppu-chi!!"_

"You wish to defend the young ones when you know all hope is lost for them?" Gaul wondered. "That does not make any sense."

"You wouldn't understand, ape man!!" Poppu exclaimed, stepping up to defend her classmates and teachers. "It's a little something called _compassion!!_ Look it up sometime!!"

"You are really starting to wear on my nerves, hatchling," Gaul growled. "Very few have ever annoyed me and lived to tell the story."

Poppu simply waved her hand in a 'bring it' motion. This REALLY annoyed Gaul, who let out another roar and charged for Poppu.

The red witch apprentice simply performed a step vault onto and over Gaul's head. The Ape King swung his sword towards Poppu as she was about to land, knowing she wouldn't be able to react in time.

Gaul was very surprised to see that Poppu had blocked the strike with her wand, the Chojiku Poron (translation: "super-dimensional wand").

"Nice try, ape boy, but that's not going to work on me," Poppu stated, waving her finger towards Gaul. "I'm thirteen years old now, so I'm wise to your little tricks by now."

"Oh, I see you wish to perish like the fool you are, huh?" Gaul stated, crossing his swords again. "Then why not go quickly to your death?!"

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"We'd better hurry, Nick," Momoko stated as the Ojamajos rushed towards Misora Middle School. "I can sense Gaul's aura!!"

"That means my little sister's in big trouble!!" Doremi exclaimed, putting on an extra burst of speed.

"GET BACK HERE, DOREMI-CHAN!!" Aiko exclaimed, ever impatient.

"She's just worried about Poppu-chan," Onpu stated. "We all are."

"I just hope she'll be able to keep Gaul away until we can get there..." Hazuki wondered, holding her hands to her heart.

Fami and Hana said nothing, just running as fast as they could.

_What could Gaul want at the middle school?_ Nick wondered. _Either way, we'd better hurry!!_

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Not wasting a single second, Gaul slashed his swords outwards, sending a massive burst of dark energy towards Poppu, who swung her Chojiku Poron and easily deflected the blast, sending it right back to Gaul.

"This is no time for games, hatchling," Gaul taunted, reflecting the blast into the floor right in front of Poppu, sending her crashing into the ground. When she looked up, Gaul was in front of her, pointing his swords right at her face.

"I warned you. Now you shall die," Gaul stated matter-of-factly.

"Not today, buddy!!" Poppu exclaimed, bringing her foot up and slamming it right into Gaul.

The red witch apprentice took advantage of the momentary distraction to hop to her feet.

"Kimitaka-kun!! Can you and the others turn on all the lights in the gym?" Poppu asked, to which Kimitaka and her classmates nodded, rushing for each of the light switches, flipping them on and illuminating the gym.

"Pathetic," Gaul stated, still stumbling back from Poppu's surprise attack. "The light cannot hurt me."

"Wasn't trying to make the light hurt you, ape boy," Poppu responded, holding her hands into the sky. All the lights that had just been turned on began glowing, and the electricity it radiated began flowing from the bulbs and concentrating around Poppu. The gym immediately went dark, the only light source being the energy that was surrounding Poppu.

"Now eat this!! _Discharge!!_"

With that call, Poppu unleashed all the energy she'd gathered in the form of a massive electric energy ripple that knocked Gaul back, slamming him into the stage floor.

"How'd you like that, freak?!" Poppu exclaimed.

Gaul quickly recovered himself, clutching his wounded shoulder. "I see you are stronger than I expected, hatchling," Gaul taunted. "I commend you for that. However, do not expect this to be our last encounter. We will meet again. You can be sure of it."

With that, Gaul vanished in a shower of dark feathers. As the lights turned back on, Poppu floated into the air, covered in a cocoon of pink light. When it cleared, she was back in her regular clothes.

She immediately noticed the looks of complete surprise on her classmates' faces.

"I'll explain later, okay?" Poppu stated with a giggle.

"POPPU!!" Doremi's panicked voice exclaimed as she and the rest of the Ojamajos ran through the open gym doors.

"Oh, sis, I'm so glad you're all right!!" Doremi exclaimed, holding her little sister tightly.

"Um, Doremi? You're crushing me here!!" Poppu exclaimed.

Nick looked at the crushed floorboards left behind in the aftermath of the battle. "What happened here?" he wondered.

"Oh, the ape freak showed up, but I kicked his butt. It was actually kinda fun," Poppu explained.

"YOU defeated Gaul?" Nick exclaimed, quite surprised to know that the youngest of their group had defeated their strongest enemy yet.

"I'm sure he'll be back, but that pounding should keep him at bay for a while," Poppu stated.

Nick took a good look at the hole that Gaul had entered the battle from. _Wow. She actually did a good job. I guess all that martial arts tutoring I gave her paid off after all..._

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"How are we going to tell them?" Haruka wondered, looking over the application she was filling out. "I don't want them to hate us for what we're doing..."

"Don't worry, Haruka-chan," Ichiyou replied, writing something down on her own application. "They're our best friends. I'm sure they'll understand."

"I sincerely hope you're right, Leaf-chan," Haruka noted, taking a look at the summerleaf witch apprentice.

_This is probably going to be the biggest decision of our lives. I just hope the others will understand..._ Haruka thought. Just then, she felt a pair of arms encircle her as Ichiyou pulled Haruka close to her.

"Don't worry, Haruka-chan," Ichiyou stated, surprising Haruka with a gentle kiss on the cheek. "They'll be supportive of our decision. I'm sure of it."

Haruka instantly calmed down at this. "Yeah. Thanks, Leaf-chan. I really appreciate you helping me out with this."

Ichiyou smiled brightly, utilizing her practiced charm. "Hey, what are best friends for?"

Haruka couldn't help but smile herself.

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Next time:

Chapter 6: Goodbye to My Dear Friends, Verse 1

When Haruka and Ichiyou make a surprising announcement, they find out that the Magic Dimension has been thrown into chaos, and what's worse, the lunar eclipse is in just a couple days...


	6. Goodbye to My Dear Friends Verse 1

"How are we going to tell them?" Haruka wondered, looking over the application she was filling out. "I don't want them to hate us for what we're doing..."

"Don't worry, Haruka-chan," Ichiyou replied, writing something down on her own application. "They're our best friends. I'm sure they'll understand."

"I sincerely hope you're right, Leaf-chan," Haruka noted, taking a look at the summerleaf witch apprentice.

_This is probably going to be the biggest decision of our lives. I just hope the others will understand..._ Haruka thought. Just then, she felt a pair of arms encircle her as Ichiyou pulled Haruka close to her.

"Don't worry, Haruka-chan," Ichiyou stated, surprising Haruka with a gentle kiss on the cheek. "They'll be supportive of our decision. I'm sure of it."

Haruka instantly calmed down at this. "Yeah. Thanks, Leaf-chan. I really appreciate you helping me out with this."

Ichiyou smiled brightly, utilizing her practiced charm. "Hey, what are best friends for?"

Haruka couldn't help but smile herself.

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"A moment, Master Gaul?"

"You may speak to me, half-breed," Gaul responded.

"The earth's lunar eclipse will be happening tonight," the smaller ape responded.

"Excellent. Now we can open the gateway and extract the power of the Eternal Night. We just need to wait for the right moment..."

Gaul then turned to something in the background.

"Master... there is much to do..."

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"You wanted to see me, Leaf?" Nick asked. Haruka and Ichiyou had requested that Nick come to the gym.

"Um... Nick?" Ichiyou asked. "Haruka-chan and I wanted to tell you something..."

"Why just me, Leaf?" Nick wondered. "You sound so nervous..."

"That's the thing..." Ichiyou responded. "We're not sure how the others are going to react to this... but Haruka-chan and I... we're leaving Misora to study abroad."

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(They say that those who can't do, teach.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension  
_This Chapter: June 2nd, 2008  
Summary: In the sequel to _Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl_, when Nick's parents are attacked by a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul, the Ape King, the Ojamajos will have to come together for one final adventure, because Gaul has wicked designs on this world...  
On Today's Episode: When Haruka and Ichiyou make a surprising announcement, they find out that the Magic Dimension has been thrown into chaos, and what's worse, the lunar eclipse is in just a couple days...

Disclaimer (just in case): _Ojamajo Doremi_ is copyright Toei Animation. This story, Nick, Haruka, Ichiyou, Riiko, and Yumi are copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger, circa 2008.

One more thing: This series is going to be dedicated to my father, who passed away just recently.

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Chapter 6: Goodbye to My Dear Friends, Verse 1

Nick just stood there for a few seconds, registering what Ichiyou had just told him.

"Everything okay, Kellysi-chan?" Haruka asked.

Just then, Nick smiled. "Good for you, girls," Nick stated. "I never thought you'd make such a mature decision. Usually, it'd be Hazuki-chan who wanted to study abroad. Where are you thinking of heading?"

"Not really sure..." Ichiyou continued. "Pretty much wherever the wind takes us, I guess... I've always wanted to see the world with the wind blowing through my hair, just waiting eagerly for whatever lies beyond the horizon..."

Haruka giggled at this proclamation. "You stole that from the book we've been reading in Social Studies class, didn't you?"

"That's beside the point!!" Ichiyou shot back.

Nick couldn't help but laugh himself. Ichiyou always had a passion for using famous quotes from the books she'd been reading.

"When were you two thinking of leaving?" Nick wondered.

"Probably in the next few days or so," Haruka continued.

Nick walked up and put his arms around the two girls. "I'm very proud of you two."

Ichiyou instantly blushed at this. "You do understand that this may put our marriage plans on hold, Nick?" Ichiyou asked, to which Nick blushed and nodded.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask about that," Haruka wondered. "Why did you two promise to marry each other?"

"Well... it's kind of a long story..." Nick responded, recounting that time in grade school...

"_HEY!! Let go of me!!" the eight-year-old Ichiyou cried out, trying to release herself from the burly boy's grip, but to no avail._

"_Just give me your lunch money, girlie, and I won't have to rough you up," the burly boy replied._

"_Hey!!"_

_This caught the attention of the bullies, who turned around and noticed the seven-year-old Nick standing there, looking brave. He'd dealt with these bullies before, and what they did just made him sick._

"_You heard the lady, boys," Nick stated. "Let her go before this gets ugly."_

"_Like we're scared of you, boy?" the bullies' leader stated menacingly, only to be pulled back by one of his comrades._

"_Don't you recognize that kid, boss?" the skinnier bully stated. "That's the kid who stopped us the last time!"_

_After a couple seconds of thought, the lead bully let out a growl and stepped back._

"_You got lucky, kid," the lead bully stated, his accomplices backing off with him, "Next time, I won't let you off so easily."_

_And with that, they were gone. Nick shook his head at the sight._

"_I've got to talk to the principal about Burt doing this stuff to people..."_

_He turned around to head back inside, only to be just as quickly glomped by Ichiyou._

"_Oh, thank you so much!!" Ichiyou nearly screamed, so happy to have been saved._

"_It's nothing," Nick replied. "Burt does this to someone almost every day. It's sickening that no one even tries to stop them."_

"_If I was married, I'm sure my husband would protect me!" Ichiyou exclaimed. "Would you help me out with that?"_

_Nick looked a little confused. "Um... I guess so..."_

_Just then, the bell rang. Ichiyou released Nick and ran off to class, exclaiming "All right!! I'll hold you to that promise!!"_

_This only left Nick even more confused._

_"What just happened?"_

"OH... so THAT'S how it happened..." Haruka noted.

"I guess Leaf never forgot that promise, even after she found out that I'm in love with Momoko..." Nick responded.

Just then, a bright flash caught all three's attention. Before they even knew what had happened, Nick's Magic Bracer had flashed a bright green and emitted a powerful pulse wave, slamming Nick into the nearby wall.

"Nick!!" Ichiyou exclaimed as she and Haruka rushed up to check on Nick. At that very moment, Haruka noticed a pink light coming from the nearby classroom, followed by Doremi's surprised yelping and another crash.

"What was that?" Nick asked, looking down at his Magic Bracer, only to notice that it had lost all of its color.

"That doesn't look good," Nick stated, turning the control dial and pressing it down, only to discover that nothing was happening.

"What in the... why is this thing not working?" Nick wondered. Just then, an orange flash of light came from the nearby window. Haruka just barely noticed Hazuki being flung into the glass window.

"Apparently, it's happening to the others, too," Ichiyou noted.

"Something's wrong here," Nick noted. "Can you two find the girls and see if they know what the heck is going on? I'll try to contact the queen. Maybe she knows who's behind this."

Haruka and Ichiyou nodded and raced off while Nick raised his Chojiku Poron into the air.

"Your Majesty? Can you hear me?" Nick exclaimed, his wand glowing with a green light.

_Is something wrong, my dear witch apprentice?_

"Something's wrong with my Magic Bracer. It seems like it's lost its power!" Nick answered.

_Apparently, your link to the Magic Dimension has been severed by the departure of two of the links that hold it together._

"Links?" Nick repeated, still a little confused. Just then, it hit him. "Of course! Leaf and Haruka-chan!!"

_If you ever hope to repair you and your friends' link to the Magic Dimension, you must find a way to transfer the powers of the departing links to someone who is willing to carry on their legacy. I will be waiting in the Majokai._

"But who?" Nick wondered. Almost instantly, an idea formed in Nick's head.

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"The lunar eclipse is in three hours, Master Gaul!!" one of Gaul's ape minions exclaimed as the sun began to descend over the horizon.

"I understand, half-breed," Gaul responded, drawing his twin blades. "Those wretched witches will not be able to stop me this time."

"But Master, not to be a thorn in your side, but they are way too powerful!" the ape exclaimed. Gaul simply smirked at this.

"Oh, but this time, they have lost their powers because two of their own are leaving the region. We shall take advantage of this opportunity and strike when they are most vulnerable. The Dark Master will be most pleased with our victory this night," Gaul explained, laughing viciously.

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"You want us to what?" Yumi asked.

"Are you sure, Kellysi-chan?" Riiko wondered.

"There's really no other choice," Nick responded. "You two are the only ones I could trust with these powers. The queen told me that the only way we can use our powers again is if we transfer Haruka and Ichiyou's powers to someone else before the lunar eclipse. That means we have to work fast, because the lunar eclipse is tonight!!"

Riiko thought for a few seconds. "All right. If you really trust us with this power..."

"There's no one else I'd believe in," Nick responded. "Meet me at the MAHO-dou in two hours, okay? We'll go from there."

Riiko and Yumi nodded.

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Two hours later, all eleven Ojamajos, including Riiko and Yumi, were situated in the MAHO-dou, standing by the door that led into the Majokai.

"All right, let's go," Nick stated, and at last, they were off.

Unbeknownst to them, something evil was watching them...

_Majokai, the Queen's Chamber..._

"I am glad you have arrived, my apprentices," the Queen stated. "We must hurry. We only have until the lunar eclipse to transfer the departing powers."

Nick nodded, joining hands with his fellow witch apprentices and forming a perfect circle. All thirteen began to glow...

...only to find that Gaul had just appeared, his swords drawn.

"Well, well," Gaul taunted. "I figured I would find you here. Now that you are most vulnerable, the time has come for me to strike. The Dark Master will be so pleased with this victory."

"Um, you wanna run that by me again?" Nick exclaimed. "Powers or not, there's no way I'm going to lose to you!!"

That said, Nick began charging for Gaul, only to be knocked aside by one of Gaul's long blades.

"Oh, this will be fun," Gaul taunted.

"Speak for yourself," Nick shot back, only to be captured in a dark aura that restrained him on the spot.

"I'll admit this, brat," Gaul stated. "You are very persistent for your years, and you are definitely stronger than I would have expected. But you have read that human book, right? It says 'take out the main link, and the rest will fall like dominoes'."

Nick suddenly became tense. _What does he mean?_

"Now, I think it's time you said goodbye to your bratty friends," Gaul stated, bringing his swords back.

"NICK!!" Momoko exclaimed.

"See you in hell, brat!!" Gaul exclaimed, swinging his swords for the helpless green witch apprentice.

_To be continued..._

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Next time:

Chapter 7: Goodbye to My Dear Friends, Verse 2

With only thirty minutes before the lunar eclipse, and Gaul on the loose in the Majokai, Nick and the girls have to transfer the departing energies, and FAST...


	7. Goodbye to My Dear Friends Verse 2

Previously on_ Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension_:

"You wanted to see me, Leaf?" Nick asked. Haruka and Ichiyou had requested that Nick come to the gym.

"Um... Nick?" Ichiyou asked. "Haruka-chan and I wanted to tell you something..."

"Why just me, Leaf?" Nick wondered. "You sound so nervous..."

"That's the thing..." Ichiyou responded. "We're not sure how the others are going to react to this... but Haruka-chan and I... we're leaving Misora to study abroad."

(scene change)

Just then, a bright flash caught all three's attention. Before they even knew what had happened, Nick's Magic Bracer had flashed a bright green and emitted a powerful pulse wave, slamming Nick into the nearby wall.

"Nick!!" Ichiyou exclaimed as she and Haruka rushed up to check on Nick. At that very moment, Haruka noticed a pink light coming from the nearby classroom, followed by Doremi's surprised yelping and another crash.

"What was that?" Nick asked, looking down at his Magic Bracer, only to notice that it had lost all of its color.

"That doesn't look good," Nick stated, turning the control dial and pressing it down, only to discover that nothing was happening.

(scene change)

"You want us to what?" Yumi asked.

"Are you sure, Kellysi-chan?" Riiko wondered.

"There's really no other choice," Nick responded. "You two are the only ones I could trust with these powers. The queen told me that the only way we can use our powers again is if we transfer Haruka and Ichiyou's powers to someone else before the lunar eclipse. That means we have to work fast, because the lunar eclipse is tonight!!"

Riiko thought for a few seconds. "All right. If you really trust us with this power..."

"There's no one else I'd believe in," Nick responded. "Meet me at the MAHO-dou in two hours, okay? We'll go from there."

Riiko and Yumi nodded.

(scene change)

"I'll admit this, brat," Gaul stated. "You are very persistent for your years, and you are definitely stronger than I would have expected. But you have read that human book, right? It says 'take out the main link, and the rest will fall like dominoes'."

Nick suddenly became tense. What does he mean?

"Now, I think it's time you said goodbye to your bratty friends," Gaul stated, bringing his swords back.

"NICK!!" Momoko exclaimed.

"See you in hell, brat!!" Gaul exclaimed, swinging his swords for the helpless green witch apprentice.

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(They say that those who can't do, teach.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension  
_This Chapter: June 10th, 2008  
Summary: In the sequel to _Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl_, when Nick's parents are attacked by a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul, the Ape King, the Ojamajos will have to come together for one final adventure, because Gaul has wicked designs on this world...  
On Today's Episode: With only thirty minutes before the lunar eclipse, and Gaul on the loose in the Majokai, Nick and the girls have to transfer the departing energies, and FAST...  
Author's Note: Though they may be leaving in this episode, I assure you that this won't be the last we see of Haruka and Ichiyou!

Disclaimer (just in case): _Ojamajo Doremi_ is copyright Toei Animation. This story, Nick, Haruka, Ichiyou, Riiko, and Yumi are copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger, circa 2008.

One more thing: This series is going to be dedicated to my father, who passed away just recently.

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Chapter 7: Goodbye to My Dear Friends, Verse 2

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM NICK, YOU OVERGROWN APE!!" Ichiyou exclaimed, charging forward and quite literally kicking Gaul in the face, breaking the Ape King's dark magic spell and allowing Nick to move again.

"You'd better stay away from my future bride, buddy!!" Ichiyou shouted, to which Momoko sweatdropped.

"She still hasn't forgotten about that, Nick?" Momoko asked.

"Leaf's always been stubborn," Nick admitted. "But I guess that's one of the things I've always liked about her..."

Ichiyou deftly dodged a sword swipe from Gaul, then shot back with a sweeping kick. Wasting no time, Ichiyou pressed her palms together and concentrated.

"Hope this works..." Ichiyou hoped, concentrating with all her might. With her powers out of commission, this would be a lot harder. _"Razor Leaf!!"_

A few seconds passed. Gaul laughed viciously.

"What's the matter, girl? Your little tricks not responding to you?" Gaul taunted, giving a menacing laugh, only to then be assaulted by a storm of razor-sharp leaves that came out of seemingly nowhere.

Ichiyou snapped her fingers as if to mock Gaul. "See, I knew that would work!" Ichiyou giggled.

Gaul stood up, balancing on his swords. "You're going to pay dearly for that, young brat!!"

"You wanna go ahead and try me?" Ichiyou challenged.

All of the others were silent, hoping that Ichiyou could stall for time.

Both Gaul and Ichiyou stood there, just staring towards each other, daring the other side to make the first move.

"Hey! Is that the Dark Master behind you?" Ichiyou exclaimed.

This instantly caused Gaul to spin around. "Master?!"

This distraction gave Ichiyou ample time to summon another Razor Leaf swarm and launch it for Gaul. By the time the Ape King realized that he had been tricked, it was too late.

Ichiyou couldn't help but laugh like crazy at this. "Gaul, you dummy! I can't believe you fell for the oldest trick in the book!!"

Gaul growled; now he was REALLY pissed off. "Girl, now you're going to wish you had never crossed me!!"

"Yeah, yeah. Why don't you tell it to someone who cares?" Ichiyou shot back with one of Nick's most famous taunts.

Gaul let out a mighty scream and charged for the summerleaf witch apprentice, only to be stopped by Haruka, who slammed her open palm into Gaul's face as he came charging by.

"Why don't you try something I won't be able to see four miles away, Gaul?" Haruka taunted before joining hands with Ichiyou.

"You little witches are too stubborn for your own good," Gaul proclaimed. "But tonight, the night of the lunar eclipse, is where I will put an end to all of you!!"

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see you try and stop us, you little ape freak!!" Ichiyou taunted, still giggling. This simple statement vexed Gaul to no end.

"Guess it's time I got serious," Gaul stated, beginning to glow with an immense dark aura. "I haven't even been using my full power on you little brats. But now, it's time for you to bid this world farewell!!"

With that, Gaul fired a massive purple energy beam for Haruka and Ichiyou.

"_Koten zanshun!! I reject!!"_

Responding to Nick's call, an orange, paper-thin energy blade shot forward and sliced right through Gaul's energy burst, causing both halves of the blast to fly away in different directions.

"What was that you were saying, Gaul?" Nick taunted, joining two of his lifelong friends.

"You're really beginning to vex me, brat," Gaul noted. "You are going to wish you'd never met me."

"We'll see about that, Gaul," Nick stated, shifting into battle stance.

Just then, Ichiyou tapped Nick on the shoulder. "Let me take care of this, okay, sweetie?"

Nick blushed, then nodded as Ichiyou stepped up.

Gaul charged yet again, only to be stopped by Ichiyou's foot in his face.

"Uh-uh, big boy. Your fight's with me," Ichiyou stated. "So you should probably just leave them alone."

Gaul then realized something: he was feeling weaker by the second. Apparently, these witches had taken more out of him than he'd originally thought.

"You're lucky I don't just kill you all right now. As it be, I have other matters to attend to. This will be the last time you make a fool out of me," Gaul proclaimed before disappearing in a flash of black light.

Nick, however, knew that there was no time to celebrate their recent victory.

"Hurry up, girls! We've only got five minutes to finish this up!!" Nick exclaimed. Everyone nodded, joining hands and forming a perfect circle once more. All thirteen witch apprentices began to glow their respective colors (Yumi's was strawberry pink and Riiko's was a light brown).

"_Ancient sages from the vastness of the Magic Dimension..."_ the queen chanted. _"Two of our links have been severed by departure. We ask of you to transfer the power of the departing to our newest candidates!!"_

Two bright beams of light shot up from Haruka and Ichiyou and surrounded Riiko and Yumi, raising them into the air.

_"It's my feelings and my choice!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

_"This is the superstar's life!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

Riiko and Yumi were covered in a cocoon of light, coming out in their new Ojamajo uniforms.

_"The shy girl from the Magic Dimension, Riiko-chi!!"_

_"The pop superstar from the Magic Dimension, Yumi-chi!!"_

"It is done," the queen stated. "And just in time."

"I will admit, I'm going to miss these powers," Ichiyou stated. "But I know it's for a good cause."

"Good luck, you two," Haruka stated to Riiko and Yumi, who instantly nodded.

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"I am sorry, Master Malefor. I failed."

"Do not worry, Gaul. This is only the beginning of the battle."

This new voice surprised Gaul. "Master? You speak to me once again!"

"I have regained enough energy to keep in contact with this world. But I will need a lot more if I am to be freed from this infernal prison. Those witches believe that the fool Morticon was the very epitome of evil, but they have no idea of the powers I possess."

"I will not fail you again, Master Malefor. That much I promise you."

"For your sake, Gaul, you had best not."

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A few hours later, we can see everyone standing by Haruka and Ichiyou's transport down at the train station.

"Well, everyone, I guess this is goodbye," Haruka stated.

"Believe me, it's been fun. All of it," Ichiyou continued. "We'll see you when we see you, I guess."

"Do you guys really have to leave so soon?" Doremi asked.

"It's always been a dream of mine to see the world with the wind..." Ichiyou started, only to be interrupted by a playful slap from Haruka.

"Don't start with the book quotes again, okay, Leaf-chan? We'll have all the time in the world for that once we're on our way," Haruka advised.

"Right, right," Ichiyou responded, walking up to Nick.

"We can put our marriage plans on hold for a while, right, Nick?" Ichiyou asked.

"You may want to stop asking me that around Momoko," Nick advised. Momoko's face was flushed at Ichiyou's previous statement. "I think she's starting to get a little flustered."

Ichiyou giggled a bit, then turned serious before embracing Nick. "You do know that I'm going to miss you, Nick?"

"I'm going to miss you, too, Leaf. We all will. You two just have fun out there, okay?"

"You know we will, Nick."

Before Nick knew what was happening, Ichiyou had just kissed him quite deeply. Nick returned the kiss, hoping that Momoko wouldn't take this the wrong way.

Once they pulled apart, they could hear the train conductor shouting "All aboard!!"

"I guess that's our cue to scram," Haruka stated. "See you guys in the funny papers!!"

"_Now_ who's using famous quotes?" Ichiyou teased.

Haruka and Ichiyou stepped into their train, still waving to the rest of the Ojamajos as the train departed.

"I can't believe they're leaving..." Hazuki stated as she continued to watch the train leave the station.

"Don't worry, Hazuki-chan," Aiko responded. "We've got two new teammates on our side, and if Gaul tries messin' with us again, he's gonna regret ever meetin' us!"

Nick simply watched the departing train. _Well, it looks like a brand new chapter is beginning... Wonder how the story's going to play out now?_

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Author's Note: Just like Nick said, a new chapter is beginning! Don't go anywhere, because we've got more coming up!

Next time:

Chapter 8: A Singer's Lonely Life

When Nick notices that Yumi is crying, we learn about the long and tough road that Yumi has traveled to becoming the star she is today...


	8. A Singer's Lonely Life

_"Koi ka na? Pin to kitara SAY (Koi kanae!) tte  
__Chokusentekina ittari kitari datte tomaranai de  
__Itsuka hoshi wo egaite kimi he todoketai..._

_Isshoni ireru dokoro ka yumeochi no sanrenpa  
__Todokisou ni miseru no ga imadoki no unmei?_

_Amai mono hodo somiru mune no sukima ni kimi no kureta egao  
__Mada tochuu dakedo arigatou!_

_Koi ka na? Pin to kitara SAY (Koi kanae!) tte  
__Chokusentekina ittari kitari datte tomaranai de  
__Itsuka hoshi ni naritai kimi to futatsu hoshi..."_

Yumi performed a few dance steps to her imaginary audience as she finished rehearsing the new song she'd be singing at the Purple Daydream concert tour that Onpu would be hosting soon.

"I've been working on that song for a few months now. I'm sure the fans will be impressed by this one," Yumi stated to herself.

Her rehearsal done, Yumi went back to the audience and sat down in one of the seats.

"Sometimes I wonder if all this fame was worth it," Yumi wondered. "I'm worried about what my mother is going to say if she knows what I'm doing... she never was supportive of this lifestyle..."

Yumi suddenly covered her eyes with her hands and burst into tears.

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(They say that those who can't do, teach.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension  
_This Chapter: July 1st, 2008  
Summary: In the sequel to _Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl_, when Nick's parents are attacked by a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul, the Ape King, the Ojamajos will have to come together for one final adventure, because Gaul has wicked designs on this world...  
On Today's Episode: When Nick notices that Yumi is crying, we learn about the long and tough road that Yumi has traveled to becoming the star she is today...  
Song Note: The song that Yumi sings is "Koi Kana" from Kirarin Revolution, sung by Koharu Kusumi of Morning Musume. It fits, since Yumi's seiyuu is Koharu Kusumi! Bet you didn't know that!

Disclaimer (just in case): _Ojamajo Doremi_ is copyright Toei Animation. This story, Nick, Haruka, Ichiyou, Riiko, and Yumi are copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger, circa 2008.

One more thing: This series is going to be dedicated to my father, who passed away just recently.

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Chapter 8: A Singer's Lonely Life

"Hey, Kellysi-chan!!" Riiko exclaimed, catching Nick's attention as he was walking by the studio where Onpu and Yumi usually recorded their songs and other things.

"Oh, hey, Riiko-chan! What's up?" Nick wondered.

"Yumi-chan called me just a couple hours ago," Riiko explained. "I think she wants you to give her something."

At that, Riiko handed Nick a CD.

"I'll see that she gets it, Riiko-chan. But why didn't Yumi-chan call someone that lived closer by? Onpu-chan does live dangerously close to the studio..."

"From what Yumi-chan told me, she wanted to see you specifically. I'm not sure why..."

"I'll go see what's up, okay, Riiko-chan? I think Doremi-chan's waiting for you over at the MAHO-dou."

With that, Riiko nodded, and she was off.

Nick took a look inside the studio; no sign of Yumi. "She's probably in the recording booth by now. The Purple Daydream concert is in two days, after all."

After a bit of thought, Nick entered the studio, only to be immediately met by a burly-looking agent.

"What business have you here?" the agent asked.

"Miss Yumi requested me to bring a CD to her. Do you know where I might find her?" Nick requested.

"Second floor, first door to your right."

"_Arigatou_," Nick responded before heading for the stairs.

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Following the agent's directions, Nick noticed a stage of sorts behind the aforementioned door. "Wow. This really is one snazzy recording studio they've got here," Nick noted. Taking a good look inside, Nick noticed someone sitting in the audience stands.

Just then, Nick recognized who was sitting there, and she looked very upset.

"Yumi-chan?" Nick asked, walking over to the young pop star and wondering what was the matter.

Yumi then noticed Nick walking up to her. _Should... should I tell him?_

"You need a shoulder to cry on, Yumi-chan?" Nick offered.

That seemed to be it for Yumi, who rushed into Nick's arms, still crying her heart out.

"What's the matter, Yumi-chan? Why all the waterworks?" Nick asked.

"I... I don't know if I'll be able to perform at the Purple Daydream concert if I'm like this, Kellysi-chan..." Yumi answered.

"Why are you so upset, Yumi-chan? Did something happen?"

"Not... not really. It kinda has something to do with something that already happened..."

"Like what? Don't worry, you can tell me. And if it's personal, I won't tell anybody. I promise, okay?"

Yumi looked up at Nick. She could see the honesty in his eyes.

"Nick, do you know why I put myself almost completely into my career?"

"Not really. Any particular reason?"

"It all started when I was six years old. They were holding auditions. You know, one those 'you could be the next big idol' things? Like Star Search back in America?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I was a big fan of Onpu-chan back then, so the idol world really intrigued me. But my mother wasn't so gung-ho about me going after this kind of lifestyle..."

Yumi closed her eyes, flashing back to that fateful day...

_"I said no!! You're not going to those tryouts!!" Yumi's mother Saiyuki exclaimed._

"_But mommy, I could be world famous, like Onpu-chan!!" the six-year-old Yumi responded. "Don't you want me to be proud of me?"_

"_My only daughter will not lower herself to such trickery!!" Saiyuki exclaimed. She only wanted what was best for her daughter, having had her own rough times as a former idol herself._

"_Why don't you understand, mommy? I could be world famous!!" Yumi cried, storming up to her room in tears._

_Later that night, while her mother was asleep, Yumi slowly opened her window, climbing down the house._

"_Not even my own mommy will stop me from being world famous," Yumi stated to herself as she landed safely on the ground, racing off to the auditions. It was at that point that Saiyuki noticed Yumi running off._

"_Let her go," Saiyuki's husband stated. "If she wants to pursue her dream, we don't have any right to stop her."_

_Saiyuki stared on as Yumi disappeared from sight._

"So, you actually ran away from home and became an idol? Talk about rebellious," Nick noted.

"Well... the actual reason I'm scared of performing at the Purple Daydream concert is because... my mother sent me a letter saying that she'd be attending the concert," Yumi explained. "And we never really got the chance to make amends after I left..."

"It's been a while," Nick answered. "I'm sure she'll understand. Time has a way of changing people. Trust me, Yumi-chan, everything's going to work out for the better. I promise."

Yumi's eyes were still brimming with tears, but she was smiling now. "_Arigatou, _Nick. That means a lot to me."

Yumi leaned forward and pressed her lips to Nick's for a few seconds.

"Thanks for believing in me, Nick," Yumi stated.

"No problem, Yumi-chan. Now let's get back to rehearsal before your agent barges in here. He's giving me that weird glare."

"Don't worry. He's always like that..."

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Finally came the eventful night of the Purple Daydream concert. Onpu herself had invited Yumi and a host of other popular idols to perform here in Misora.

In fact, Onpu herself was just finishing up the song she had named the concert after, her newest hit single _Purple Daydream_.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to pass the baton to a good friend of mine," Onpu stated to the record audience. "She's more of a popularity issue over in America than she is here, but that hasn't stopped her from becoming famous! Everyone, put your hands together for Yumi!!"

Yumi dashed onto the stage at these words, wearing a sparkly pink dress and holding a microphone in her hands. Her hair was down tonight.

Raising the microphone to her lips, Yumi began singing.

_"Koi ka na? Pin to kitara SAY (Koi kanae!) tte  
__Chokusentekina ittari kitari datte tomaranai de  
__Itsuka hoshi wo egaite kimi he todoketai..."_

Everyone applauded quite loudly, especially Saiyuki. She was just so proud to see her daughter out here tonight.

"_Isshoni ireru dokoro ka yumeochi no sanrenpa  
__Todokisou ni miseru no ga imadoki no unmei?_

_Amai mono hodo somiru mune no sukima ni kimi no kureta egao  
__Mada tochuu dakedo arigatou!_

_Koi ka na? Pin to kitara SAY (Koi kanae!) tte  
Chokusentekina ittari kitari datte tomaranai de  
Itsuka hoshi ni naritai kimi to futatsu hoshi..."_

All the while, Yumi was performing flashy dance steps that had enough potential to rival Onpu's dance steps.

"I hope I'm not upstaging you, Onpu-chan," Yumi whispered to the purple pop idol during the song's intermission.

"Don't worry, Yumi-chan, you're doing great!!" Onpu whispered back with a thumbs up. Yumi smiled and turned back to her song.

_"Kakehiki no chikara no ji sae miatarazu ni tameiki  
__Nante sugata wo misetatte ii koto nai yo ne_

_Doramachikku da to omowaretemo touzen sore doko janai geemu  
__Kedo doko made mo yoroshiku ne_

_Koi ka na? Kyuntte itami kono koi kara datte  
__Zetsumyoutekina surechigai nante ki ni shinai de  
__Motto tsuyoku hikaru yo mune no ichiban hoshi..."_

By this point in the song, the audience applause was rapturous. Yumi noticed this, and decided to finish the song off in style, upping her dance steps. This, of course, drove the crowd wild.

_"Ame no asa mo warattemisete yozora wo kitai dekinakya  
REVOLUTION nanka okosenai_

_Koi ka na? Pin to kitara SAY (Koi kanae!) tte  
Ketteitekina happii no yokan mou sugu soko made  
Negai mikiri hassha de kirari nagareboshi!!"_

Once Yumi was finished, the uproar was basically drowning everything else out. Yumi bowed to the audience.

"Arigatou, everyone. I think I'm going to pass it back to Onpu-chan, who's going to sing you an old favorite!" Yumi exclaimed, tossing the microphone back to Onpu, who began singing her old favorite "We Can Do!"

While all of this transpired, Yumi headed backstage, only to see Saiyuki waiting there.

"_Okaa-sama_... I'm... I..." Yumi just stood there, at a loss for words.

"I'm glad you're faring well out there," Saiyuki noted. "The only reason I was harsh to you about your idol dream was because I didn't want you to take the same falls I had during my career as an idol."

"The scars never went away, did they?" Yumi wondered.

"It's good to know you're doing all right, Yumi," Saiyuki stated. "All I worry about is your happiness."

That was it for Yumi, who just broke down crying and rushed into her mother's arms.

After a few seconds of this, Yumi wondered something. "Wait. Where's _otou-san_?"

"He's trying to sneak snacks from his car into the show."

Yumi couldn't help but giggle at this. "Ah. Good old dad, huh?"

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Hana peeked around the corner, wondering if that boy she'd been watching was still there. She looked forwards...

Yep. He was still there.

Hana had some flowers behind her back, wanting to surprise the boy.

"Hana-chan can do this..." Hana kept telling herself. This was technically her first try at asking a boy out, and was she ever nervous.

"Hana-chan can do this... Hana-chan knows she can!!" Hana exclaimed again. "So... here Hana-chan goes!!"

She walked up to the boy, holding the flowers towards the boy.

"Um... Kazuki-kun... will... will you go out with Hana-chan?"

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Author's Note: I have GOT to stop staying up until four in the morning making these things.

Next time:

Chapter 9: The Flower That Blooms in the Moonlight

After asking out, and ultimately being rejected by a cute boy, Hana is devastated, but Nick may be able to cheer her up...


	9. MOVIE: Yukizora no Tomodachi Act 1

(Prologue, written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

The snowstorm just wouldn't seem to let up.

And therein lies the problem: a fierce snowstorm has been hitting the city of Misora for five days straight.

This didn't seem like any natural snowstorm, either.

We pan up to the sky, where a mysterious comet can be seen flying over the city. As it passes over the town square, two beams of light, one gold and one ruby, can be seen falling from the comet.

The gold light landed somewhere near the MAHO-dou, and the ruby light landed just outside the city.

Back in the city, atop the tallest skyscraper, an ape creature with heavy armor and two long swords can be seen studying the comet.

"So, they have arrived. The Dark Master will be pleased with this turn of events."

The ape turns his back and disappears from view.

(BONUS by S.P.D. Gold Ranger: Here's the opening sequence! It took me a while to decide on the song. The theme is "Cross Heart" by CooRie!)

(Footage: Hinata and Akari stare at the comet as it flies over the city, then turn to the camera and smile.)

_Osanai koro omoiegaiteta  
__Otona wa doko ni mo inai_

(Footage: Nick and Momoko can be seen snowboarding down a mountain. After a few seconds, Hinata speeds by them on her own snowboard, drenching the two in snow.)

_Surechigai kasanaru kokoro ga  
__Uchuu ni mo kodoku ni mo naru_

(Footage: Akari sits on a chair just outside the MAHO-dou, smiling and watching the sun rise. We pan over to Yuki and Saiki, who are watching Akari with smiles on their faces. Yuki leans over and kisses Saiki on the cheek, which causes him to blush.)

_Cross heart towa ni hareta sora no you na_

(Footage: We can see Gaul drawing his swords, with a pair of blood-red eyes slowly opening in the background.)

_Kimi no egao ga mabushikute_

(Footage: Akemi, Moriko, Kurumi, Riiko, and Yumi can be seen rollerskating down the early morning streets.)

_Biroodo no tameiki ga yami ni haneta_

(Footage: Akari looks towards Hinata, both of them smiling. They join hands with each other, and this creates a light that fills the entire screen.)

_Aimai na ichibyou ni irozuku bokutachi wa  
__Tashika na nukumori o hoshigari_

(Footage: In the Realm of Eternal Night, Nick can be seen fighting Gaul. Gaul tries a horizontal slash, but Nick easily dodges by doing a sidestep. Nick then backs up before charging at Gaul, leaping into the air and bringing Hanyou Hikari down.)

_Mananda you na furumai de  
__Namida no kakera yoroi ni shiteta_

(Footage: Yuki can be seen dodging dark magic strikes from someone who can't be seen from the current camera angles. After deflecting a few energy blasts, Yuki gets a good look at her attacker, then gasps in shock.)

_Gamushara ni motomete  
__Soshite tsutaenakucha_

(Footage: Akemi takes a good look at Nick, then blushes. Hinata can be seen doing the same thing. Moriko just shakes her head in frustration.)

_Kizutsuite mo_

(Footage: We pan out to see all fifteen Ojamajos, Saiki, Akari, and Hinata in a group pose outside of a snow-covered Jewelry World MAHO-dou.)

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(I actually don't know what to say here.)

**S.P.D. Gold Ranger** and **YukiShinoya444** present:

Chiemi Chiba as Doremi Harukaze  
Sawa Ishige as Poppu Harukaze  
Kumiko Watanabe as Fami Harukaze  
Tomoko Akiya as Hazuki Fujiwara  
Yuki Matsuoka as Aiko Senoo  
Rumi Shishido as Onpu Segawa  
Nami Miyahara as Momoko Asuka  
Takeshi Kusao as Nick Kelly  
Ikue Ohtani as Hana Makihatayama  
Yui Horie as Haruka Reisei  
Ai Maeda as Ichiyou Kitakaze  
Koharu Kusumi as Yumi  
Reina Tanaka as Riiko Izawa  
Saeko Chiba as Yuki Shinoya  
Sakura Tange as Akemi Suzuki  
Aya Hirano as Moriko Takahashi  
Atsuko Enomoto as Kurumi Sayoko  
Tomo Saeki as Saiki Shidoosha  
Ami Onuki as Hinata  
and Yumi Yoshimura as Akari in...

_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension: Yukizora no Tomodachi_

Created: June 19th, 2008  
Finished: July 20th, 2008  
Summary: When two mysterious girls fall from a passing comet and arrive in Misora during a fierce snowstorm, Nick and the girls immediately sense that something is wrong, as these two unlikely girls possess an extraordinary power that attracts the attention of Gaul, the Ape King. Now, Nick and the Ojamajos, with the help of some old friends, must protect Hinata and Akari from Gaul at all costs!

Disclaimer: Neither Yuki-chan nor I own ANYTHING of _Ojamajo Doremi_, though we really wish we did. The series and all of its affiliations belong to Toei Animation and whoever licenses it for their particular country. Let's rock!

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Act 1: The Lateness of the Hour

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"Saiki-kun, Saiki-kun..." Yuki chanted, giggling. "Over here, over here..."

"What am I ever going to do with you, Yuki-chan?" Saiki wondered as he followed her, sighing. "Come on, enough games already!"

His girlfriend smiled coyly, as she lifted her fingers in a 'come here' motion. Getting the message, Saiki approached her ever so cautiously.

_What's she up to?_

"Eeeyaaa!" the black witch squealed, tackling him in a tight hug. "I can't believe it... That actually worked!"

"Very funny..." the wizard huffed as he got up, wincing. "But... _ow_..."

"Oh, did I hurt you?" Yuki asked, separating from him.

_Plop._

"Nope," he answered, with her the one on the bottom. "Not really." Yuki flushed red at Saiki's rather pleased expression.

"_C-Cheater!!_" she yelped.

"Spoil-sport," Saiki then perked up, looking around. "Yuki-chan... Did you by chance feel anything?" Yuki looked confused, but Saiki removed himself, searching about. "What's with this aura...?"

"S-Saiki-kun... you can't just try to have your way with me and then leave just like that...!!" she pouted, waving her arms. "T-That isn't fair! At least kiss me or SOMETHING!! Try being a little passionate!"

"Be _quiet_," her boyfriend stated firmly, effectively getting her to shut up for a few minutes. "Now..." He looked around some more, eventually coming to a certain spot, his eyes automatically widening at the sight.

"Yuki-chan! Get over here, _right now!!_"

"Oh what could it..." she froze at the sight of a girl around her age, unconscious on the floor. Gasping, she covered her mouth. "S-Saiki-kun! Is she...?!"

"She's alive..." Saiki responded, sounding relieved. "She just fainted from fatigue by the looks of it." Yuki let a huge sigh of relief herself before getting down.

"What should we do, Saiki-kun? Bring her to a doctor?" she asked, feeling the girl's forehead for a fever.

"That..."

"_Urgh..."_

"...apparently won't be necessary," he finished before taking her in his arms and smoothing down her long, ruby red hair. "Hey... Hey. Are you okay?"

The girl's cherry pink eyes opened up slowly. "H...Huh? What...?" She looked at Saiki, and then at Yuki, who gave her a friendly smile.

"Um... Hi! What's your name?"

She was so surprised, she answered.

"A... Akari. It's Akari."

"Oh, what a pretty name!" Yuki exclaimed, happily. "My name is Yuki! And this is my boyfriend and future husband, Saiki-kun!" Saiki glared at Yuki for a few moments before looking back at Akari.

"So Akari-chan... Do you need anything?"

"H-Help..." her voice wavered. "I need help!!"

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**("Happy! Smile! Hello!" by Atsuko Enomoto plays)**

"Kurumi-chan, look this way! This way!"

Kurumi blew a kiss, earning more photo shots, and struck a pose, letting her coal black hair fall down her shoulders. This was how she dealt with being circled by the paparazzi.

"Perfect... Perfect! Just perfect, Kurumi-chan!"

The child model smiled, bringing her hands close, and adjusting the fashionable cap she wore.

"Kurumi-chan sure is popular..." Akemi couldn't help but state with a sigh as she stood by Moriko, who shot a few pictures of her own. Both of the girls had taken up Kurumi's offer to go on a world tour about 2 months ago, and they learned a lot.

"Yeah..." Moriko agreed before flashing the camera at a surprised Akemi. "But nowhere near as cute as you are with your hair in a braid!" Akemi blushed darkly as she fingered the handiwork her childhood friend had done with her hair.

"Well... It's good to be in Japan again, anyway. I wonder how Nick-kun and the others are doing..."

"Oh that Nick!" the jade witch laughed. "I'm sure he's hitting it off with Momo-chan, just fine!! But let's be more thoughtful... Urrr..."

Kurumi looked at them, grinning. "Hey Moriko-chan, Akemi-chan! Just a few more pictures and we can head to Misora okay?"

"Okay!" they both responded, cheerfully. The gray witch giggled, and suddenly tensed up.

_What the...? This feeling..._

"On second thought... You two, we gotta get to Misora, as soon as possible!"

"Huh?"

Everyone seemed surprised as Kurumi rushed up to the two girls, taking their arms and leading them away.

"K-Kurumi-chan... W-What's..." Akemi stopped, twitching. Moriko twitched as well.

"You felt it?" Kurumi asked. "There's something wrong going on... And we need to investigate! Agreed?"

"Right!"

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Nick looked out his window; it didn't seem like this snowstorm was going to let up anytime soon. And it was getting real lonely around his house, what with his mother and younger sister still in the Majokai.

"This sucks," Nick stated. "I usually like the snow, but _this is ridiculous!!_"

Nick got up out of his chair and walked around a few times; he REALLY didn't like being bored.

"Mou," Nick stated. "I haven't been able to wander away from this house for days now, and it's really starting to get to me... I'm just lucky that the school's closed because of this weather..."

Nick let out another scream, never known for being patient in situations like this. "Could someone tell me what the heck I'm supposed to do here?!"

Almost as if to answer his question, Nick's cell phone began beeping. In reality, this particular cell phone used to belong to his father, but Nick had inherited it when Jeff was killed by Gaul.

"_Moshi-moshi_," Nick stated.

"Hey, Nick!" Momoko's voice answered on the other end. "From that scream I heard, you must be really bored, right?"

"You actually heard that one, Momoko?" Nick responded. "Don't you live, like, four blocks away?"

"I know you like a phone book, Nick," Momoko teased. "You want me to come over?"

"PLEASE," Nick continued. "Anything to kill this stupid boredom streak."

"Okay, I'll be right there," Momoko replied, cutting the transmission.

About five minutes later, Momoko had arrived, all bundled up in her winter clothes.

"You do realize that you could just use magic, right?" Nick teased.

"Even so, I'm not taking any chances," Momoko responded, pulling off her stocking cap and shedding her winter clothes to reveal her normal outfit. "This weather doesn't seem natural."

"It's probably just that time of the month," Nick replied. "Remember those five straight days of rain we had back in America?"

"Please don't remind me. I'm STILL trying to forget that disaster ever happened," Momoko stated matter-of-factly. "Though you have to admit, the snow does give everything a bit of a luminescent glow, right?"

"Yeah, you're right. I don't know why I never noticed that before," Nick replied.

Momoko suddenly noticed something out of the corner of her eye: she looked out the window, and noticed a streak of gold light falling down just shy of the MAHO-dou.

"Nick!! Did you see that?" Momoko asked.

"Yeah, I did," Nick responded. "That's something you don't see every day."

"Get your winter clothes, Nick. We'd better go check it out," Momoko advised, readorning her winter clothes as Nick raced upstairs to grab his own.

About five minutes later, the two lovers were off, trudging through the literally knee-deep snow on their way to where the mysterious gold streak had fallen.

Once they'd arrived at the Jewelry World MAHO-dou, Nick was the first to notice that a young girl no older than Momoko was laying in the snow there, seemingly unconscious.

"Oh, my god! Is she..." Momoko asked.

"She's fine. I can still sense her aura," Nick stated. This was one of Nick's newest special abilities gained from exposure to the Magic Dimension: he could sense the auras of any living thing.

"You think she's all right?" Momoko wondered. "She's definitely not wearing any winter clothes..."

Indeed, this girl with long, blonde hair that curved outwards (like Aiko's) was wearing a yellow tank top and blue Capri shorts.

Just then, the girl opened her tree-brown eyes, wondering what was going on.

"They're... they're just like your eyes, Nick..." Momoko noted.

"Yeah... the resemblance is uncanny..." Nick responded before bending down and softly ruffling the new girl's hair.

"Well, good morning there," Nick stated. "What's your name?"

She looked a little hesitant at first.

"My... my name's Hinata."

"What happened, Hinata-chan?" Momoko asked. "What are you doing out here in the middle of this snowstorm?"

"I'm... I'm not entirely sure," Hinata answered. "To be honest, I _love_ the snow. But, all I can remember right now is that someone was chasing me. He looked like a giant monkey, and he had these REALLY long swords..."

Nick and Momoko looked at each other. That description sounded too familiar.

"Wait a minute. Monkey?" Momoko asked.

"You don't think..." Nick stated.

As if to answer Nick's question, a massive column of purple light emerged from the ground nearby, and from it came none other than Gaul. Hinata immediately started backing away, pointing towards Gaul.

"That's him!! That's the monkey that was chasing me!!" Hinata exclaimed fearfully.

"I prefer to be called an ape, young lady," Gaul responded.

"Why don't we just cut to the chase, Gaul?" Nick stated, getting right to the business at hand. "Exactly what the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"You should know that by now, kid," Gaul growled. "I will not be strayed from my task of reviving the Dark Master. Now you would do wisely to hand over the girl."

"You kill my father, nearly destroy my life, and now you want my new friend? Over my cold, dead body!!" Nick shot back.

Gaul smirked. "That can be arranged."

Gaul crossed his swords, slashing them across each other and firing a powerful dark magic burst for Nick, who easily batted it away and charged towards the Ape King.

"_Let the demon's luster shine brightly!! Hanyou Hikari!!"_

Once Nick had transformed, he leapt into the air, aiming a horizontal strike for Gaul, who swung his swords and easily deflected the attack.

"_The gracefulness of a girl who can dream, take this!! Ojamajo Aura Star!!"_

Momoko unleashed her signature attack just as Nick hopped away from Gaul. The barrage of star-shaped energy blasts forced Gaul back, leaving small trenches in the snow.

Suddenly, Gaul began shivering. "Damn it... I almost forgot what the cold does to my people..."

Nick perked up at this.

"This won't be the last time we meet, you wretched witches."

With that, Gaul was gone.

"He's up to something," Nick stated. "It can't be just the Dark Master he's working for. Why is he after Hinata-chan?"

"I honestly have no clue, Nick," Momoko responded.

"HEY!! NICK-KUN!!"

Nick and Momoko spun around and noticed Yuki, Saiki, and Akari running up to them.

"Yuki-chan!! Saiki-kun!!" Momoko exclaimed. "Haven't seen you guys in a while!!"

"I could say the same for you two," Yuki replied. "By the way, Nick-kun, something's been bugging me. The last time you called me, it was from your father's cell phone. I thought you told me that he wouldn't give that phone up for ANYTHING!! Something really bad must have happened for him to give up that phone..."

Nick had to sigh heavily. This was the one question he hoped she wouldn't ask.

"Yuki-chan... my father's dead."

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"Oh..." Yuki covered her mouth in surprise for a few moments. "Nick-kun... I... I'm so sorry. I mean, my dad's dead too, but I didn't know him and..."

"_Yuki-chan_," Saiki stated in a warning voice, sighing. "We're getting ahead of ourselves."

Momoko then looked at Akari, who quickly took cover behind Saiki, clutching on his sleeves.

"Who's this?"

"This... Is some girl who's convinced I'm her brother and that Yuki-chan and I are engaged." Saiki answered, laughing a bit as he ruffled her hair. "Her name's Akari-chan."

"A... A pretty name, isn't it?" Yuki noted, still a bit uneasy from the news Nick had given her. "I see you found a new friend too..."

"Ah, yes, she's..." Hinata cut Nick off.

"My name's Hinata... And excuse me... Akari-chan, is that _you_?"

"H-Hinata-chan?" Akari's voice wavered before removing herself from Saiki. "No _way_..."

The two girls then grinned and shook the other's hand. "It's so great to see you again!!"

"Well... This a pleasant surprise..." Saiki said to himself. "Akari-chan and Hinata-chan already know each other..."

Yuki grew starry-eyed. "Ah, it's like fate, Saiki-kun!"

"Interesting..." Momoko noted. "So... Akari-chan... Were you being chased by Gaul as well?"

Akari quickly hid behind Hinata, shivering. Hinata sighed before turning to both Nick and Momoko again.

"Please forgive her... She's always shy around new people..."

Yuki put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. "Really? Because that sure didn't stop her from snuggling up against _my_ Saiki-kun."

"Yuki-chan, we found her in the middle of nowhere, and nursed her back to health and promised our help... Assuming she's been through a lot, I'm not surprised," Saiki recalled, matter-of-factly.

"That's a new one..." Hinata mumbled. "Akari-chan softened up to you two already?"

Akari looked at her friend and nodded. "Her name is Yuki-chan, and he's Saiki-kun, Yuki-chan's boyfriend and future husband," she introduced, using the same exact words Yuki had told her earlier.

Saiki groaned. "We may be dating, but we're NOT engaged... We're too young for pete's sake!!" Yuki quickly elbowed her boyfriend.

"Saiki-kun, we're bound to get married someday, so why not tell everyone _now_?"

"Tons of reasons," her boyfriend mumbled in response, obiviously annoyed.

"So I take it you two got along quite well since then..." Nick stated with a grin. "Good to see it."

"You and Momoko-chan too, I see..." Saiki responded, a bit wearily.

"_Saiki_?" Hinata giggled. "That's a funny name!!"

Saiki flushed in embarrassment. "Hey!! I know I have a strange name okay? Geez... I hate it so.."

"Saiki's a nice name!" Yuki protested. "It tells me that you'll protect me all you can in the future..."

"Oh, really? That's exactly what whoever named me and Onii-chan thought... I still hate it," Saiki growled. "What do I look like?"

"A-A really nice person!!" Akari shouted out. "Hinata-chan, that was mean! I happen to like his name..."

Hinata coughed. "Oh, uh... Sorry."

Saiki sighed. "No worries, some of our friends have said the same thing..."

Momoko then realized something.

"Hey... What happened to Kurumi-chan, Moriko-chan, and Akemi-chan?"

"They're on some trip..." Yuki answered with a slight sigh. "We haven't heard from them since..."

"Oh."

Akari then yelped, rushing over to Saiki and squeezing his arm. "S-Saiki-kun... They're nice right...?"

Saiki smiled. "No worries Akari-chan. They all are... You might even find that Kurumi-chan, well... Looks a little like Yuki-chan."

"A little?" both Nick and Yuki repeated, dubiously. "Yeah, right."

"I-I'll take your word for it... Saiki-kun," Akari stammered, blushing like crazy.

"Something tells me she'll really relate to Akemi-chan..." Yuki stated, laughing a bit before turning annoyed. "But does she ALWAYS have to act like that around Saiki-kun?!"

"He'll get used to it," Hinata reassured her. "Anyway, let's go inside... As much as I love snow... I'm freezing! Hey, wait a minute, what's your name again?"

"Yuki," the black witch answered, dumbly.

Hinata squealed, and glomped Yuki. "Yuki-chan! Now THAT'S a nice name! I just KNOW we're going to be BUDDIES!!"

_Oh, THIS is how Saiki-kun feels when I tackle him..._ she thought, laughing nervously. _I feel so nervous... I barely know Hinata-chan!_

"So..." Saiki started, laughing a bit.

"Where's this MAHO-dou again?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Took ya long enough," a familiar voice stated as the group had entered.

Everyone, needless to say, was _speechless_.

"M-_Mori-chan_?!" Nick gasped, flabbergasted. "A-Aren't you supposed to be with AKEMI-CHAN and Kurumi-chan on some trip?!"

"Aw..." Moriko whined, sighing a bit. "You're saying that as if you didn't miss me... Nick-kun."

"O-Of course not..."

"Good," the jade witch grinned. "Akemi-chan and Kurumi-chan are in the other room as we speak, but I took the free liberty in greeting you all myself!"

She wrinkled her nose as she turned her intimidating gaze to Hinata, then a nervous Akari.

"...Who's this?"

Akari quickly ducked behind Saiki again, making him sigh.

"Well... This is Akari-chan. She's basically like Akemi-chan... Only in our relationship, I'm apparently you, Moriko-chan."

Moriko giggled. "Not so easy is it, Saiki-kun?"

"Obviously not," he grumbled, sweatdropping.

"And the other one?"

"Hinata-chan... In spite of her name... Uh... She apparently loves the snow," Momoko answered, giggling a bit herself.

Moriko's eyes glittered. "Nice name. Flowers can't grow without the sun... Come, I'll introduce the two of you to Akemi-chan and Kurumi-chan right now..."

She then skipped away. Nick just shrugged and everyone followed her into the next room...

...showing Akemi and Kurumi sipping hot cocoa peacefully at a small table.

"Welcome back," Kurumi stated, not even bothering to look at them. Akari's eyes widened and sparkled. _She... She really does look like Yuki-chan..._

Akemi looked at Nick with an obvious blush on her cheeks. "Nick-kun... It's really good to see you again..."

Nick just smiled. "You too, Akemi-chan. So what are you all doing here?"

Kurumi set down her cup and walked up to them. "I felt quite a magical aura while we spent our time back... We were going to surprise you.. But this seemed to be an emergency."

She looked at Akari, who instantly blushed, and smiled.

"Who are the two cute girls with you?"

"Hinata-chan and Akari-chan," Moriko answered, beaming. "Unique, aren't they?"

Kurumi nodded. "Indeed... But you should all be careful in somewhere as magically active as Misora... Now..."

She pulled out a chair and sat down, folding her legs.

"Nick-kun... I'd like you to tell me the whole story of what has happened since we left." She clasped her hands together.

"Top to bottom. I don't care how sad the news, just tell me."

Nick gulped and nodded.

"A...Alright... Kurumi-chan."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"It's kind of a long story. It all started about two months after we came back from the Battle Frontier," Nick explained. "Momoko and I were on our way home when we saw an explosion coming from my house. When we got there, half of the place was destroyed. We were able to save my mother and younger sister... but dad... wasn't so lucky..."

Akemi, Moriko, and Kurumi gasped at this.

"Oh, Nick-kun... I'm so sorry..." Akemi stated, walking up and hugging Nick.

"It's okay, Akemi-chan," Nick replied, returning the friendly embrace. "Anyways, Momoko and I found ourselves back here, and there was this weird door that didn't seem to be there the last time we'd come. So, we opened that door, and suddenly, we have these new transformation devices."

Nick proved his point by showing Yuki and her friends his new Magic Bracer.

"So, then we went to the Majokai, hoping that the queen could give us some answers as to what exactly was going on. When we met up with the queen, we also found the others. Apparently, all of their families had been attacked by the same freak that had killed my father," Nick continued. "The queen told us that someone named Gaul the Ape King was responsible for all of this. Apparently, he's searching for something called the 'Eternal Night' so he can use it to revive the Dark Master, who was imprisoned over three thousand years ago. So, we've been stopping Gaul's crazy schemes ever since."

Just then, Riiko and Yumi busted in, apparently having seen the mysterious flash of light that had come from the comet.

"Hey, you guys! I saw a comet overhead and... um..." Yumi stopped on a dime upon noticing Yuki and her friends.

"Say, Kellysi-chan, any idea who these girls are?" Riiko asked.

"They'd better not be working for Gaul, or else I'm gonna..." Yumi exclaimed, her fists up.

"Settle down, Yumi-chan!!" Nick exclaimed, hoping to keep Yumi from doing something drastic.

"I guess I haven't properly introduced you yet," Nick stated to Yuki. "Yuki-chan, girls, this is Izawa Riiko-chan..."

"Hi," Riiko stated with a blush on her face.

"...and Yumi-chan," Nick continued.

"Glad to be back!!" Yumi exclaimed.

"Aah... so YOU'RE Yumi..." Kurumi stated. "Modeling AND singing, and you don't even break a sweat."

"I get around," was Yumi's simple reply.

"I'll just bet Onpu-chan's jealous," Kurumi asked.

"Just a little," Yumi admitted.

"Where's Leaf-chan?" Moriko wondered.

"She and Haruka-chan left to study abroad," Nick answered. "That's why we have Riiko-chan and Yumi-chan on our team. When Haruka-chan and Leaf left, the Magic Dimension was thrown into chaos, so we had to transfer their powers to our new candidates."

"Yuki-chan, can you and your friends still transform?" Momoko asked.

Yuki and her team showed Momoko their Royal Taps. "The problem is, they haven't been working right lately," Yuki stated.

"Then it seems like it's time for an upgrade," Nick stated. "Follow me, girls."

Nick walked up to the door that led to the Magic Dimension and quickly opened it. "Okay, girls, hold your taps towards that light."

Yuki's team did as they were instructed, and the taps began glowing each girl's respective color before reforming into a Magic Bracer on their wrist. The control dial was again, different for each respective Ojamajo: Yuki's was shaped like a heart, Akemi's like a ballet dress, Moriko's like a flower, and Kurumi's like her trademark fashion cap.

"Wow!!" Moriko exclaimed.

"_Sugoi..._" Akemi stated.

"Nice!!" Kurumi exclaimed.

"So, how do we work these things?" Yuki asked.

"The control dial can be used to access a number of different powers. Each of us has their own unique powers that can be accessed through that dial. But for now, just turn the control dial to the music note, and press it down. That'll allow you to transform."

Yuki and her friends nodded, each turning the control dial to the music note.

"_All for my dear Saiki-kun!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

"_It's going to be okay!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

"_You'd best stay on my good side!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

"_Let's try this cute pose!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

A multitude of bright lights filled the MAHO-dou for a few seconds before Yuki and her team came out of the light, fully transformed.

"_The twilight princess from the Magic Dimension, Yuki-chi!!"_

"_The ballet dancer from the Magic Dimension, Akemi-chi!!"_

"_The nature freak from the Magic Dimension, Moriko-chi!!"_

"_The worldwide starlet from the Magic Dimension, Kurumi-chi!!"_

"WHOA!!" Hinata exclaimed. "That's SO COOL!!"

"That's what Hana-chan said," Nick noted. "That reminds me..."

Nick turned to his girlfriend. "Momoko, call the others. They're gonna need to hear about this."

Momoko nodded, turning the control dial on her Magic Bracer until the little screen showed what appeared to be a phone. Pressing the control dial down, she began speaking.

"Doremi-chan? It's Momoko," Momoko explained. "Yeah. Yeah, go ahead and get the others. We've got an emergency situation at the MAHO-dou. Yep, Gaul's on the loose again."

About thirty minutes later (normally it would only take the girls fifteen to get there, but the snowstorm complicated things), Doremi had assembled the remaining Ojamajos and arrived at the MAHO-dou.

"STUPID SNOWSTORM!!" Aiko immediately screamed.

"Don't mind her," Onpu stated. "Ai-chan's just upset because she kept slipping on the ice on the way here."

"Could someone introduce us to our new arrivals?" Doremi asked, referring to Hinata and Akari.

"Gladly," Nick replied. "Girls, this is Hinata and Akari."

The two girls waved.

"Hinata-chan, Akari-chan, this is Harukaze Doremi-chan..." Nick introduced, pointing to each of the girls in turn.

Doremi simply waved.

"...Fujiwara Hazuki-chan..."

"Hi," Hazuki stated.

"...Senoo Aiko, who we usually call Ai-chan..."

"Ready to rock!" Aiko exclaimed, shooting a peace sign.

"...Segawa Onpu-chan..."

"Nice to meet you two," Onpu noted, shaking hands with Hinata and Akari.

"...Makihatayama Hana-chan, next in line for the throne of the Majokai..."

"HELLO!!" Hana exclaimed, still full of energy.

"...Harukaze Poppu-chan..."

"Hey, girls!" Poppu greeted.

"...and Harukaze Fami-chan."

"Greetings from the world of tomorrow!" Fami exclaimed.

"So, what's Gaul up to now?" Aiko asked.

"For some reason, he's after Hinata-chan and Akari-chan," Nick explained. "We'd better transform and head to the Majokai. Maybe the queen can give us the answers we need."

Doremi and the others nodded, all readying their Magic Bracers.

"_There's steak in it for me, right? Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Doremi exclaimed.

"_I'll do my best for my friends! Magic Dimension, open!!" _Hazuki exclaimed.

"_Time to kick some butt!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Aiko exclaimed.

"_Always for my loyal friends!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Onpu exclaimed.

"_There's nowhere I won't go for you!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Momoko exclaimed.

"_Hana-chan at your service!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Hana exclaimed.

"_I'm a cute little sister!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Poppu exclaimed.

"_Towards a lovely future!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Fami exclaimed.

"_I won't lose to you!! Magic Dimension, open!!" _Nick exclaimed.

"_It's my feelings and my choice!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Riiko exclaimed.

"_This is the superstar's life!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Yumi exclaimed.

Hinata, Akari, Saiki, and Yuki's team had to cover their eyes to not be blinded by the immense light that was filling the MAHO-dou.

"_The unlucky bishoujo from the Magic Dimension, Doremi-chi!!"_

"_The sweet bookworm from the Magic Dimension, Hazuki-chi!!"_

"_The super athlete from the Magic Dimension, Aiko-chi!!"_

"_The famous idol from the Magic Dimension, Onpu-chi!!"_

"_The exotic beauty from the Magic Dimension, Momoko-chi!!"_

"_The hyper queen-to-be from the Magic Dimension, Hana-chan-chi!!"_

"_The tiny cutie from the Magic Dimension, Poppu-chi!!"_

"_The future lady from the Magic Dimension, Fami-chi!!"_

"_The courageous fighter from the Magic Dimension, Kellysi-chi!!"_

"_The shy girl from the Magic Dimension, Riiko-chi!!"_

"_The pop superstar from the Magic Dimension, Yumi-chi!!"_

Soon enough, everyone was transformed.

"All right, girls and guys," Nick started. "Let's head out."

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"Back so soon, my dears?" the queen asked.

"We've got a bit of a problem, Your Majesty," Nick responded, gesturing to Hinata and Akari. "Gaul's after these two, but we don't know why..."

The queen seemed very surprised at this. "I never thought I'd see them again..."

"What's the matter, Your Majesty?" Momoko asked. "Do you know why Gaul's after Hinata-chan and Akari-chan?"

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

The queen looked uneasy for a few minutes. "I guess there's no other way..."

"The two in front of you... are very special."

"Special? How?" Doremi asked, a bit confused.

"Have you ever heard the term 'elemental'?"

Saiki perked up. "Your majesty... That's impossible. An 'elemental' magic user only appears once every thousand years... It's too soon."

"And just how would you know that, Saiki-kun?" Aiko asked, raising an eyebrow. Yuki blinked twice, and cocked her head to the side.

"...Saiki-kun?"

"Because..." Jou-sama stated with a chuckle. "He's an elemental himself."

Everyone stared at him in shock for a few moments, earning a sigh from him.

"Saiki-kun, I had no _idea_..." Nick stated, still a bit surprised. "Why didn't you say anything about it?"

"Why put Onii-chan in unnecessary danger?" Saiki shot back, a bit annoyed.

"What does Akatsuki-kun have to do with any of this?" Doremi wondered, now concerned.

"Because elementals always appear as twins."

Yuki blinked, and blushed. "So... Why didn't you tell me, Saiki-kun?"

"For your sake as well as my own... That and I already figured you knew." Saiki shook his head. "Guess I was wrong, huh?"

His girlfriend nodded slowly, but Akari just walked up, a light blush on her cheeks.

"Saiki-kun, I'm still confused. Can't you please just tell me what I am? And... How are you one too?"

"In the case of elements, I would have to say it's like an extra something. Basically, you draw extra power from the element you represent..." Akari blinked, still clueless. Saiki just sighed.

"Hey Akari-chan... What's the most natural thing you like?"

"Why are you asking a trivial question like that?!" Moriko demanded, ticked.

"It's not trivial... Akari-chan?" Blushing under his expectant gaze, Akari smiled.

"What I love is watching the sun rise... And the sunset... Also, gazing at the full moon! It's so wide, and beautiful... Er, why do you need to know, Saiki-kun?"

"There's one thing all those have in common: Light. There's your element," he chuckled. "Of course, that's only an assumption..."

Hinata took a deep breath. "So our element is something we're attracted to? Akari-chan, are you really attracted to light?"

"Like a fly!" her friend chirped, matter-of-factly.

"I see... Well, I love snow... So is that my element?" Hinata asked, looking thoughtful.

The younger prince nodded. "Indeed. That's where you usually draw your powers... If it was somewhere you didn't like, how would you be able to get them?"

"I guess that makes sense... Speaking of which... Hey, what's your element?" Kurumi asked, a little curious.

"That... Kurumi-chan, would be dependant on the time on day. I draw certain powers only during the evening... While Onii-chan draws his from the daytime," he sighed. "That's why we're such opposites, Onii-chan and I... Of course, I'm sworn to protect him..."

"That sure explains a lot..." Hazuki mused, adjusting her glasses. "But there's still one thing I don't understand..."

"Saiki-kun, why only them? If this elemental thing was true... Wouldn't you of met Gaul by now?" Fami asked. "If he just wants them for their elemental power..."

"That part I might be able to crack. I would say Gaul probably thought getting Hinata-chan and Akari-chan would be easier... After all, Akatsuki-kun's still in the Mahoutsukai... And I got a twilight witch at my every whim."

Yuki blushed.

Saiki then sighed. "But I'm afraid there's something more that I don't understand... It looks like both of them have even more power than a supposed elemental. Just imagine what damage could be caused with Hinata-chan and Akari-chan's power combined... Heck, even just one would be enough to send the world into World War III... or worse."

"I see... It's bad. What should we do?" Momoko asked, the last question in English.

"The result of Akari-chan's and Hinata-chan's appearance is the effect of a comet... Said to come only ever so rarely..." the queen recalled. "Supposedly, it was this comet that gave these two their power... Two elementals... With two special powers... Sadly I have no idea what Gaul could use them for..."

"Oh, there's loads of possibilities..." Saiki stated, rolling his eyes. "For starters, a new world... But Nick-kun, wouldn't you be able to answer that question?"

"He's going to revive the Dark Master..." the green apprentice stated, quietly.

"Exactly. You said something about 'the Eternal Night', and I'm afraid that just might have something to do with Akari-chan and Hinata-chan..." Saiki looked at Yuki. "And who knows what else?"

"Okay, that's enough for me," Onpu stated, waving her hands. "No worries Jou-sama, we'll keep these two safe... Even if we have to make a sacrifice or two."

Riiko nodded, and Yumi grinned. "I can't let Gaul get his way after everything..."

"Hinata-chan, Akari-chan, you two officially have no need to worry!" Poppu exclaimed, shooting a peace sign. "I'll be the one to keep my Onee-chan in check!"

"Hey!!"

Kurumi put a hand on her hip. "So... no worries, huh? Yuki-chan isn't that your saying? Yuki-chan? Hey... are you alright?"

Yuki sighed. "I'm... just surprised by everything Saiki-kun said... I... I had no idea. Saiki-kun knows me better than I know myself, and suddenly I feel like we're strangers all over again... That... That's just not fair!!"

"It'll be alright..." Akemi stated quietly. "It's only natural, Yuki-chan..."

"Oh really?" the black witch groaned. "For some reason... I'm just not sure..."

"Oh Yuki-chan..." Kurumi then perked up. "That reminds me... Won't it be a little stupid to keep both Hinata-chan and Akari-chan in the same place if what Saiki-kun said is true?"

All eyes were on her.

"What do you mean, Kurumi-chan?" Nick asked, surprised but not offended.

"I mean, if Gaul somehow gets past us... _If_. If he gets _both_ Hinata-chan and Akari-chan, there'll be trouble."

"I guess that's true..." Riiko murmured with a slight blush on her face. "But then, what can we do Kurumi-chan?"

"That's easy. We split them up," The child model answered with a grin. "We won't leave them alone, but we'll _all_ have to split up for this plan to work..."

Yuki made a face. "We all split up? Either way Kurumi-chan, I don't care what you say... I'm going to STAY with Saiki-kun and Akari-chan!"

Hinata pouted. "But I really wanted to get to know you Yuki-chan!!"

"Yuki-chan, I was already planning on that..." Kurumi smiled. "Besides, Gaul has yet to know what we're made of... And with Yuki-chan's twilight energy, along with our new magic, he'll probably be hit home big time! But Saiki-kun, I need to ask you to lay off protecting Yuki-chan for a while, and focus your attention on Akari-chan... Just in case."

Akari blushed darkly, while Yuki's expression turned from stubborn to uncomfortable. "K-Kurumi-chan... Is that really necessary?"

Saiki glanced at Yuki, a little worried himself. "I'll protect Akari-chan best I can... But I can't promise I'll 'lay off' completely..."

"Ah, that's all I needed to hear! Remember, Akari-chan is the real focus of attention here. Gaul's faced Nick-kun before, but he's yet to have met _any_ of us... So he'll probably strike you two first... Unless he already knows of Yuki-chan's twilight energy..." Kurumi sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Then again, he probably does... Saiki-kun, even you knew who she was before she told you..."

Saiki frowned. "Her dark energy was out of control back then... So it was easy to spot, but even now... It wouldn't take anything special to sense the special power she has..."

"Sorry..." Yuki mumbled, earning him to pat her on the head.

"It isn't your fault."

"Still... Even without Akari-chan... Yuki-chan, with _your_ power... There could be some damage... _Argh_! This is so confusing!!" Kurumi punched her clenched fist onto her palm, signaling her distress. "I... I can't decide what we should do!!"

Nick just sighed, a little surprised at how many possibilities the gray witch was drawing up. "Tell you what, Kurumi-chan. Let's just stick to your original plan of splitting up and focus _only_ on Hinata-chan and Akari-chan. Let's just hope Gaul isn't the 'genius' you're beginning to believe he is."

Kurumi just smiled. "That might work. But just in case, Moriko-chan and Akemi-chan need to stick with me. We have to watch over Akari-chan as well okay?"

The two childhood friends nodded. "Right!"

Akari blushed, but grinned. "I promise that I won't be a bother!"

"Nick, I'll help with Hinata-chan," Momoko stated with a smile, walking up. "Yumi-chan, Riiko-chan, you can help."

"Doremi-chan... Minna-san... All you have to do is go back home and stay there, in case any of us need ya." Kurumi sighed. "That okay?"

Doremi quickly nodded. "Y-Yeah!"

"Don't worry; we'll definitely keep that in mind," Onpu winked. "Just be sure to call first."

"O-Of course!" Yuki cried out, blushing. "We'll definitely, _definitely_ keep that in mind, Onpu-chan."

The queen nodded, smiling. "Well then, it's getting late... Rest for now, but don't let your guard down."

"Of course we won't!" Yumi snapped. "We definitely won't!"

"_Aah_... Oh 'definitely'." Moriko stated, sighing. "Misuse."

"M-Moriko-chan..." Akemi stammered, blushing as usual.

"Well, we'll see ya Jou-sama!" Yuki exclaimed waving.

The queen could only wave back as the group made their exit.

"..._Good luck_."

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"Wow, it's night already?" Aiko stated to herself as she opened the door. "At least the snowstorm had softened up."

"Mou, you can't even see the moon today!!" Akari complained, looking up. "How am I supposed to get those elemental powers without it?!"

"Well... See you all later. Be sure to protect Akari-chan, okay?" Nick asked, taking Hinata's hand.

Yuki nodded. "You can count on us, Nick-kun!"

"And don't worry Nick; I'll keep these two in check," Moriko stated with a wink, making him blush.

"Well said... Mori-chan."

Yuki quickly shouted her goodbyes to her departing friends, and as soon as they were out of earshot, she turned to Akari.

"Akari-chan, I'll protect you. I swear it."

"Don't mind me," Kurumi stated to no one in particular. "Night, everyone."

"Oyasumi!"

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Akari fingered the window, showing the clouds, blocking the moon she had so wanted to see.

"Come on... Move it you stupid clouds."

She glanced over to Saiki and Yuki, obviously asleep in one corner and sighed.

"I really wanted to see _tsuki-san_ today..."

Unknownist to her, Saiki opened his eyes slowly. Glancing at Yuki conked out on his shoulder, he quietly ruffled her hair before turning his attention to Akari staring longingly out the window.

_Akari-chan...?_

He quickly separated himself from Yuki, using magic to make a soft pillow cushion her head. Covering her body with a blanket, he rested his hand on her cheek for a few moments.

Saiki lightly pecked her cheek before getting up, and walking over to Akari.

"Just why are you still awake?"

Akari looked surprised, quickly turning to him. "S-Saiki-kun..." she uttered softly. "Um... I... I was hoping the clouds would clear up so..."

Saiki sighed. "So you could see the moon I presume? Akari-chan, it's late, you really need to rest."

"You should be, too!" Akari shot back, still in a hushed tone to prevent anyone waking up. "I never would have put it past you to leave your wife alone!"

"She's my girlfriend, NOT my wife Akari-chan." He groaned. "How many times do I have to say it?"

"But you love her right? I heard that if two people really love each other, they get married! That's how it works right?" the cherry-haired girl asked in an undeniably cute manner.

"Point in case Akari-chan: We're too young, therefore unready. Besides I highly doubt Majoruri-san..." He quickly stopped, surprised.

"Saiki-kun...?" Akari blinked, confused.

"Have you ever heard the saying that people with 'power' are drawn to each other?" Saiki suddenly asked, a bit dazed. Akari blushed.

"Urr... Why?"

"Oh, no reason." He responded, placing his hand on the window.

Akari's eyes widened as she noticed a rather strange aura around him. _Is that...?_

"You... You _do_ love her right?"

Saiki nodded before sighing. "Yes... Akari-chan?"

"Y-Yes?"

He smiled slightly before turning his gaze to the still sleeping Yuki then back to the night sky.

"No need to worry."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Wow. You've got a really nice place, Nick," Hinata noted as she, Nick, Momoko, Riiko, and Yumi returned to Nick's house.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan. I always say 'it's not much, but it's home'," Nick replied. "We'd better take shifts watching over Hinata-chan, girls. I have no idea when Gaul's going to strike again. Now that he knows we're protecting the girls, he's probably going to be that much more persistent."

"Why don't you take the first watch, Nick?" Momoko asked. "It _is_ getting late. If Gaul comes by, we should be able to hold him off."

"Just don't let him anywhere NEAR Hinata-chan, okay, girls?" Nick asked. The others nodded as Hinata yawned loudly.

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"Master, I have found the two elemental girls."

"Though the brats stopped you."

"It was mostly the snow. You know as well as I do what the cold weather does to our kind, master. If we are ever to unlock the Eternal Night, we must strike and capture those girls when the moment is right. I believe I have an idea on how to do this."

"For your sake as well as mine, Gaul, this plan had better work."

"Make no mistake, master, we will all have our wishes in due time."

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"Will you stay with me, Nick?" Hinata asked as Nick was about to head back downstairs. "I just... don't like sleeping alone anymore... it's too troubling..."

"Why don't you like sleeping alone, Hinata-chan?" Nick wondered.

"It just brings back too many painful memories..." Hinata explained, fumbling with the strings of her nightgown. "You had no idea what I was going through before you and Momoko found me..."

That was all Nick needed to hear. As Hinata clambered into Nick's bed, the green witch apprentice followed suit, letting his arms rest around Hinata.

The blonde elemental clearly smiled, humming a little tune to herself. Upon noticing Nick's curious look, she explained, "It's a little song I remember someone singing to me when I was little. It's always helped me get to sleep on the tougher nights."

With that, Hinata began singing softly.

"_Ne, aishitara daremo ga  
__konna kodoku ni naru no?  
__ne, kurayami yori mo fukai kurushimi  
__dakishimeteru no?"_

_(Say, when they're in love,  
__does everyone get this lonely?  
__Say, do they embrace the pain  
__that's even deeper than the darkness?)_

Nick was lost in thought for a couple seconds. _This song must be really special to Hinata-chan..._

"_nani mo kamo ga futari kagayaku tame, kitto"_

_(It's all been so that we can shine, I just know it!)_

Nick smiled, letting sleepiness overtake him as well. Hinata continued her song.

"_kimi o kimi o aishiteru  
__kokoro de mitsumete iru  
__kimi o kimi o shinjiteru  
__samui yoru mo"_

_(I... I love you.  
__I'm gazing at you with my heart.  
__I... I believe in you,  
__even on the coldest night.)_

Nick was fast asleep by this point. Hinata noticed and giggled, finishing up her song.

"_namida de ima yobi kakeru  
__yakusoku nado iranai  
__kimi ga kureta taisetsu na tsuyosa dakara"_

_(I call out to you now with my tears.  
__I don't need promises or such things,  
__because of the precious strength that you've given me.)_

By the end of the song, both Nick and Hinata were asleep, arms around each other. Momoko had just taken a look, and she couldn't help but smile at this sweet sight.

_She really does have a crush on Nick... I guess it could be understood after everything she's been through..._ Momoko thought, heading back downstairs to join the others.

"How's Hinata-chan doing?" Riiko asked.

"Both she and Nick are out like lights," Momoko stated. "I guess they're both exhausted after everything we've been through."

"I'm pretty surprised to know that Hinata-chan and Akari-chan are elementals," Yumi admitted. "I'd heard legends and myths about them, but they were really just that: legends and myths. I never would have expected _Saiki-kun_ to be one of them, though!"

"We were ALL surprised, Yumi-chan," Momoko responded.

Just then, a massive burst of dark energy knocked the front door down, and Momoko could clearly see Gaul standing there, swords ready.

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," Momoko taunted.

"I am not in the mood for games, young one," Gaul shot back. "You had best hand over the girl, otherwise there will be hell to pay."

"Yeah, yeah," Momoko challenged, readying her Magic Bracer. "Why don't you tell it to someone who cares? _There's nowhere I won't go for you!! Magic Dimension, open!!_"

"You are really beginning to annoy me, girl," Gaul noted.

"_The exotic beauty from the Magic Dimension, Momoko-chi!!"_

"You're NOT touching Hinata-chan," Momoko stated, standing her ground as Gaul began to move forward.

"I will not fail the Master," Gaul shot back before swinging his swords for Momoko.

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"Leaf?"

Ichiyou Kitakaze looked up from the book she was reading. It was probably just as well; the former summerleaf witch apprentice couldn't even understand this weird Russian language.

"What's up, Haruka?" Ichiyou asked.

Haruka Reisei just shivered. "That energy... it's not normal... I think the others are in trouble..."

Suddenly, Ichiyou shot to her feet.

"But... how are we going to get back there? We're all the way in Russia!!" Ichiyou exclaimed.

Haruka giggled, pulling out a snow-white ball of energy. "The queen gave me this before we left Misora. She told me only to use it an emergency."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Ichiyou exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her partner. "Let's go!!"

Haruka nodded, holding the energy ball into the air and chanting a few choice words. The energy ball pulsed, and soon enough, Haruka and Ichiyou disappeared in a flash of light.

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"Okay, I'm getting sick of this," Gaul taunted, holding his hands towards the yellow witch apprentice and gathering dark energy into his hands. "It's time I finished you off once and for all."

Momoko stood her ground, ready for anything that Gaul would try. Just then...

_**BOOM!!**_

An explosion resounded, and Gaul was knocked forward, trying to discover who or what had just attacked him.

Before the Ape King could even get his bearings, he was knocked straight out the front door and into the snow. He immediately jumped away, floating in the air.

"Damned kids," Gaul stated, obviously weakened by his contact with the snow. "I'll be back."

With that, Gaul disappeared from sight. Momoko suddenly noticed two figures standing in the broken doorway.

"We thought you could use some help, so we decided to drop by."

"Is that okay with you, Momo-chan?"

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"H-Haruka-chan? Leaf-chan?"

"Who else would it be?" Ichiyou returned, grinning.

"Oh my god!!" Jumping up, Momoko quickly embraced them, laughing with relief. "What on earth are you DOING here?!"

"Like I said, we figured you guys needed some assistance," Haruka answered, returning the hug. "That's okay right?"

"You didn't need to but, thanks... Came just in the nick of time."

"And SPEAKING of 'nick of time', where's Nick?" Ichiyou asked, eyes glittering with expectation.

"Oh he's..." Momoko trailed off as she sighed. "...sleeping like a rock."

"After all that? That's Nick for ya!" Ichiyou giggled and then turned blank. "Er... Who's the girl?"

"I'll explain that later... Her name's Hinata-chan."

"Hinata-chan..." Haruka repeated before smiling. "Sounds nice. So, in the morning?"

"In the morning."

"Well, we need a place to stay, anyway..." Ichiyou grinned. "I'll surprise Nick in the morning. Night?"

"Night."

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"The sky... It _still_ hasn't cleared up!!"

Kurumi yawned lazily. "Akari-chan, it's barely six. Even _I_ can't believe you're awake at this hour! Moriko-chan's out for another hour... And..." she paused.

"Wonder why Saiki-kun's up but Yuki-chan isn't... It's a little weird."

Akari perked up. "Speaking of Saiki-kun..."

"_Have you ever heard the saying that people with 'power' are drawn to each other?"_

_I wonder... Just what he meant by that..._ she pondered, eyes sparkling. _People with power are drawn to each other? What did he mean?_

Kurumi then noticed the thoughtful look on Akari's face. "Hey Akari-chan, something wrong?"

"Kurumi-chan..." she started, softly. "Saiki-kun _does_ love Yuki-chan right?"

The gray witch's eyes widened as she blushed darkly.

"O-Of course he does... In fact, I would say he's crazy for her."

"Then maybe he's doubtful of Yuki-chan's feelings..." Akari stated, quietly. "But I don't think that's the case..."

Kurumi burst out laughing. "Oh, Akari-chan! I-I... I almost thought you were serious there for a moment!"

"What's so funny?!" Akari demanded, blushing like crazy.

"Yuki-chan not in love with Saiki-kun? Give me a break... She practically worships the guy!" Kurumi responded, wiping a few tears from her eye. "It would take a blind, _deaf_ person to not know!"

"Then why..." Akari bit her lip. Kurumi, on the other hand, looked quite confused.

"Why what?"

"Oh, it's nothing..." the elemental answered, her expression turning blank. "I was just wondering... That's all."

"Oh..." Gazing out the window, Kurumi sighed. "You know, I used to have quite a crush on Saiki-kun... Actually, I..." Fighting down a feverish blush, she huffed. "I _still_ do."

"Really, Kurumi-chan?!" Akari asked, surprised.

"So much that I actually stole a kiss! Though, Yuki-chan literally tried to kill me afterwards..." Kurumi's eyelids lowered as she smiled.

"_I hate you!"_

"...I think that was when I realized that Yuki-chan truly loved Saiki-kun..."

"Kurumi-chan..." the cherry-haired girl started, clearly amazed.

Kurumi just grinned. "He only kissed me because I had promised to reveal Yuki-chan's whereabouts... I would of loved to seen the look on his face if I told him that I didn't _really_ know."

"What happened?" Akari couldn't help but ask. Kurumi smiled brightly as she faced her.

"It's actually a pretty funny story. See, Nick-kun and the others, including Yuki-chan and Saiki-kun were on a journey through this place called the 'Battle Frontier'."

"B-Battle Frontier?" Akari repeated, blushing a bit.

Kurumi nodded. "Yes... They were out to stop a guy called Diablos, as well as..." she paused, and sighed. "Er, never mind. Either way, they all got separated along the path."

Akari blinked twice and tilted her head to the side as the gray witch continued.

"Now _me_... I had been watching over them since Nick agreed to help some princess across the desert. I believe her name was 'Lady Hinata', like your friend's..."

Akari blushed. "T-There are a lot of people in the world... I'm pretty sure there are plenty of girls named Akari..."

"True," Kurumi agreed before giggling. "But... ya know, I was a patient type, so I had chosen to wait until they were all together. You know, Nick-kun also met Moriko-chan and Akemi-chan on this journey. And I think it was this very journey that allowed us to form some real inseparable bonds, though some stronger than others."

"I-Interesting..."

"But that's not the best part, Akari-chan!" Kurumi interjected, waving her finger. "Poor Hana-chan got wound up in some trouble, and guess who had to save her?"

Akari's eyes widened. "Is that how your cover was blown?" Kurumi shook her head.

"Luckily for me, Hana-chan had mistaken me for Yuki-chan... So for the time being, I was in the clear. Still, it added confusion to them, especially Yuki-chan." She laughed a bit.

"But I finally decided to make my appearance sometime afterwards... Though I should have rethought my plan a little... Just a _little_."

"Why? What happened?" Akari asked, now completely interested.

"I pretended to be Yuki-chan... Just to check to see if her friendship with everyone really was true. Everyone was pretty much taken by my act... Well except Saiki-kun." Kurumi sighed. "Somehow, he saw right through me."

Akari made a "huh" sound as the child model continued.

"Saiki-kun even cornered me, asking me who I was, and where was Yuki-chan... I was able to play it safe, and because I had no bad intentions whatsoever, I convinced him to keep quiet... But ah, I was a little curious... So I had to... _ease_ that curiosity." She sighed again, but much deeper.

"That was when Nick-kun had walked in and realized who I was, challenging me, believing that I had done something to Yuki-chan... I didn't, of course, but I had to keep him quiet..."

Silence. Kurumi took a deep breath.

"However, apparently Nick-kun wasn't the only one who had seen... Yuki-chan had to. She... She _hated_ me for it... And I ended up driving a wedge into Yuki-chan's and Saiki-kun's relationship."

Akari's eyes went wide. "What happened after that?"

"Well, after yelling at me, Yuki-chan pretty much moved on, treating poor Saiki-kun so coldly that he couldn't explain himself. But..." a small smile etched its way to her face. "I guess you could call it excellent timing when Yuki-chan was put into some big trouble not too later afterwards..."

"Ah..." Kurumi turned to Akari and giggled.

"I wouldn't exactly call it luck, being strangled by some fire demon and all, but in this case, it was definitely serendipity. Saiki-kun really showed some strength..."

Akari lightly gasped, but smiled. "They made amends?"

"After I had saved them from the fire demon's wrath... To my amazing luck, Yuki-chan actually _forgave_ me." Kurumi sighed.

"I think that's where the real adventure began... Hello to new friends as well as old ones, all those discoveries, all those laughs..."

Kurumi then clenched her fist, growling.

"...Nick-kun telling me I was heavier than I looked..."

Akari sweatdropped, and laughed despite herself. "K-Kurumi-chan... Oh! Er, by the way..."

The gray witch faced her with a confused smile. "Uh, yes?"

"Do you know anyone called 'Majoruri'?"

"Hm?" Kurumi shrugged. "I've met an idol named 'Ruriko', but a witch? Can't say that I have..."

"Oh..." Akari let out a slightly disappointed sigh. "Well, I guess it can't be helped."

"Ne, Akari-chan?"

"Yes?"

Kurumi smirked. "You have a crush on Saiki-kun too, right?"

"Eh?" Akari blinked twice, and then flushed red. "W-W-What?! N-No way, I mean... Saiki-kun and Yuki-chan ARE after all... No! I admire Saiki-kun, but I couldn't possibly..."

Her voice got quiet. "..._like_ him. I-I mean, I like him, but he's my big brother that I've always wanted! Do you have any idea how _weird_ that would be, Kurumi-chan?!"

"Ah, 'tis only to be expected." Kurumi stated with a giggle. "You're so cute, Akari-chan."

Akari flustered. "That isn't very funny. Saiki-kun is... After all, like me."

Kurumi stopped, obviously in deep thought. "Who would have thought, huh? Him, of all people... I mean, Yuki-chan would be more sensible... But I guess not, after all... Twins in the magic user life stage is _anything_ but common."

"Oh really?" Akari then sighed.

"But still... I can't help but wonder."

"Eh." Kurumi shrugged. "It's only natural."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

By the time the morning sun had risen, Momoko, Riiko, and Yumi had already fixed up all of Nick's house that had taken damage during the previous night's (rather short) battle with Gaul. Haruka had retired to the guest bedroom, while Ichiyou settled herself in Nick's room, just waiting for him to wake up.

Nick and Hinata were still fast asleep, arms around each other. Ichiyou moved closer to Nick, smiling all the while.

As Nick opened his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the morning sun, the first thing he saw was Ichiyou's face staring right towards him.

Nick let out a scream at this unexpected surprise and backed up against the wall, Hinata scrambling around on the bed.

"Don't deny that you missed me, Nick," Ichiyou commented, still smiling.

"Don't scare me like that, Leaf! You almost gave Hinata-chan a heart attack!!" Nick exclaimed.

"So this is the young elemental twin that the others told me about, huh?" Ichiyou stated, walking up to Hinata and embracing her. "My name's Ichiyou Kitakaze, though I prefer you call me 'Leaf'. It's so nice to meet you!!"

"Same here, Leaf-chan," Hinata responded, returning the embrace.

"And this is my future bride, Nick. Though I'm sure you know that by now," Ichiyou continued. Nick shook his head at the fact that Ichiyou still wouldn't stop flaunting this fact.

"Wait... bride? I thought Nick and Momoko were in love?" Hinata asked.

"It's... it's kind of a long story, Hinata-chan," Nick responded. "You see, a while before I met Momoko, I saved Leaf over here from a pack of bullies, then I _unintentionally _promised that we'd get married. Not too soon after, she left for Osaka, and I guess it just faded into the back of my mind. But Leaf is very persistent. When she came back about a month before the time reset..."

"Wait... what time reset?" Hinata asked.

"Oh, yeah, that," Nick stated, remembering an event that still seemed to make things even more confusing. "When we defeated Morticon, time began to reset itself..."

"_What's happening here?" Aiko exclaimed._

"_It looks like time is resetting itself!" Momoko explained._

"_That means we're going back in time?" Doremi asked._

"_Yes, but that means we won't remember anything about what we've been through!" Hazuki noted._

"_And we won't remember ever reuniting... or of our feelings..." Momoko noted._

"_Girls, GIRLS!! Don't say stuff like that!" Nick exclaimed, holding his hand out. "Let's make a promise. We all know promises don't fade like memories can."_

_With that, the others let their hands rest on Nick's own as he continued. "With this promise, we'll always have our friendship, even if we can't remember it!"_

_As the light from the time reset eventually got too bright to see, all eleven Ojamajos thrust their fists into the air._

"_OJAMAJOS FOREVER!!"_

"When the reset stopped, I found myself back at my house on the day I confessed my feelings to Momoko. Apparently, me and the rest of the Ojamajos were the only ones who remembered anything."

This only left Hinata even more confused. "Um... sorry if I seem so lost, but who's Morticon?"

Nick sighed again. This... was going to take a while.

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About an hour later, Nick had finally explained everything that had happened before and after the time reset. Hinata nodded in all the right places, noting that she was easily absorbing all the information.

"WOW," Hinata stated once Nick had finished his tales. "So you guys have been through a lot, huh?"

"It makes me wonder if we're ever going to have a normal life again with all these nutjobs trying to destroy us," Nick asked himself.

Just then, a loud crash came from downstairs.

"You were saying about the nutjobs?" Ichiyou asked just as Momoko's panicked voice floated into the room.

"GUYS!! Get your butts down here!! Gaul's back!!"

Nick could only groan at this. "That's another thing I want to know: why do they always keep coming back for more?"

With that, Nick, Hinata, and Ichiyou raced downstairs to see that Gaul was indeed back, but this time, he had Akari in his hands!

"LET GO OF ME, YOU OVERGROWN MONKEY!!" Akari screamed, pounding on Gaul's arm to no avail.

"Not until you give me that power, you little brat," Gaul shot back.

Before anyone could react to this...

"You heard her. LET AKARI-CHAN GO," Hinata growled, stepping up in front of Gaul.

"I'm not scared of you, bratling," Gaul taunted. "Even if you ARE an elemental, you obviously haven't even mastered your powers yet..."

Gaul was suddenly cut off when a blizzard somehow came into the house. Nick was surprised to see that this particular snowstorm was concentrating around Hinata.

"I SAID, LET GO OF AKARI-CHAN NOW!!" Hinata shouted, thrusting her hands forward and sending the blizzard straight for Gaul!

The rapidly-moving snowflakes impacted quite hard, knocking Gaul back into the snowdrifts outside and letting Akari drop to the ground. Hinata instantly rushed up to check on her friend.

"You okay, Akari-chan?" Hinata asked.

"I should be. He didn't bruise anything serious," Akari responded.

"He's going to pay for this. Trust me, Akari-chan," Hinata noted, rushing outside to face Gaul.

"You are really asking for it, girl," Gaul growled, drawing his swords.

The snow that was falling seemed to concentrate around Hinata like a storm. "Why don't you put your energy into something that really matters?" Hinata taunted.

With that, Gaul charged forward, but Hinata ducked under the sword slashes, rolling forwards in the snow and striking Gaul in the back.

Acting on her feet, Hinata held her hands towards a nearby snowdrift, and the snow there swirled around her hands, eventually forming a pair of blades that seemed similar to Yuki's twilight energy swords.

"Now we're even, monkey boy," Hinata mocked, smiling.

"I wouldn't count your blessings just yet," Gaul responded.

That said, they both charged, metal blades and snow swords clashing. Every few swipes, Hinata would dodge a slash from Gaul and strike him somewhere, noticing that the Ape King was steadily taking damage from exposure to this ever-unnatural cold weather.

"I apparently cannot withstand these conditions much longer, so I will take my leave now," Gaul stated, ready to teleport away, but Hinata stopped him with a fierce uppercut from her snow swords.

"Uh-uh, monkey boy," Hinata stated, waving her finger like a certain famous hedgehog. "You can't just chicken out on me in the middle of a battle."

"So, to the end it is? Very well," Gaul replied, drawing his swords once more.

Hinata charged again, leaping into the air to evade Gaul's sword strokes, actually leaping from the blades themselves a couple times to kick Gaul in the face.

Gaul crossed his swords together and quickly slashed them apart, sending a massive burst of dark energy for Hinata, who held her hands forward. The snow around her reacted to this simple motion, flowing in front of her and creating a sort of shield that protected the snow elemental girl from Gaul's attack.

Hinata thrust her hands into the air and her snow blades detached from her arms and lashed out at Gaul. While this was happening, Hinata began gathering snow in her hands, which eventually formed into two spheres of snow. The spheres kept on expanding until they were actually bigger than Hinata herself.

"EAT THIS!!" Hinata exclaimed, joining the two snow spheres together and holding them towards Gaul. A massive beam of frost-blue energy erupted from the giant sphere, thundering forward and blasting Gaul about a mile backwards.

"Now you're toast," Hinata taunted.

"Not right now, girl," Gaul responded, slowly fading into the darkness he'd come from. "We will meet again."

Once Gaul had disappeared, Hinata looked back at the others, who seemed completely shocked at this turn of events.

Hinata giggled, shooting off a peace sign. "No problem!!"

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"AKARI-CHAN!!"

"Yuki-chan?" Hinata wondered as Yuki was seen rushing up. Without warning the black witch threw her arms around Akari.

"G-Gomen-naisai, Akari-chan! I should have watched you!!"

"Whoah, whoah, whoah! Yuki-chan, it's okay, really!" Akari squeaked, incredibly flustered. "I... Hinata-chan saved me so..."

"Yuki-chan?" Ichiyou wondered. Yuki perked up.

"L...Leaf-chan?"

"YUKI-CHAN YOU BAKA!!"

Moriko rushed forward, obviously furious. "Saiki-kun strictly said 'don't take your eyes off Akari-chan', and this is what happens!"

Yuki's fists clenched and she bit her lip. "I... I know..."

"If that's true then why..."

"Mori-chan." Nick warned, a little confused. Moriko looked up, a bit confused herself, but turned back to Yuki and continued to scold her for her irresponsibility.

"Moriko-chan, it's okay! Hinata-chan saved me and her elemental powers..." Moriko turned to Akari, and smiled.

"Oh. Then isn't that what one would call lucky?"

Akari blushed and sighed. "Saiki-kun... Kurumi-chan... They... They're alright, right?!"

"They're fine... Saiki-kun's still a little ticked off at Yuki-chan though..." Hearing Saiki's name, Yuki flinched and shivered, looking down at her feet.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid..._

"So what happened?" Ichiyou asked, a little confused at so why Yuki and Moriko were even there to begin with.

"Leaf?" Moriko regarded with a curious look in her eyes. "Why are you here?"

"I see you finally noticed..." the summerleaf witch apprentice started, sweatdropping a bit.

The jade witch opened her mouth to say something but decided against it, shaking her head.

"Haruka-chan too?"

Nick nodded. "Surprised, Mori-chan?"

"Oh, of all the times to show up..." the flower girl mumbled in response. "Sousei, sousei, sousei."

"Discovery..." Yuki translated, sighing heavily. "Leaf-chan, it's great to see you again. I just wish it was at a better time..."

"SPEAKING of which, where _is_ Saiki-kun?" Ichiyou asked, referring to pretty much the only person she knew who called her by her actual name.

The black witch seemed to hesitate for a few minutes.

"One of Gaul's workers... That is, he took Kurumi-chan, and Gaul took Akari-chan while I wasn't looking..." she groaned. "Even after Saiki-kun told me to watch out for her... I feel horrible about the whole thing."

"Well you should!" Moriko scolded, hands on hips. "I mean, leaving AKEMI-CHAN of all people to defend herself... Do you have any idea how painful that was?!"

"It won't happen again, I promise."

"Good." Moriko huffed before waving her hand. "What I can't believe is that Gaul actually thought of something like that! It's not genius, but hey, counts for something right?"

Akari couldn't help but giggle. "I'm sorry... I should have been more careful..."

"I should be the one saying that, Akari-chan!" Yuki snapped, obviously still brooding over the whole thing.

"If only 'walnut' hadn't of let herself get kidnapped..." Moriko sighed, shrugging. She closed one eyes.

"Oh well, she already apologized."

"Kurumi-chan..." Akari muttered, blushing a bit.

"So let me guess, this is Akari-chan, the _other_ elemental?" Ichiyou asked, pointing at the cherry-haired girl.

Akari perked up and nodded. "N-Nice to meet you er..."

"Leaf. Call me 'Leaf'." Ichiyou introduced, bowing with a grin. "Real name's Ichiyou if you're wondering... But Saiki-kun's the only one who ever calls me that anymore."

"That's my Saiki-kun, too formal for nicknames." Yuki stated dreamily, placing a hand on her reddened cheek, comical hearts flying around.

The summerleaf apprentice just laughed. _She hasn't changed a bit..._

"Ichiyou-chan... Leaf-chan... Hai?" Akari tilted her head to the side and blushed, bowing deeply. "N-N-Nice to m-m-meet you, Ichlea-chan!"

"Wow... Now THAT'S new..." Ichiyou stated to herself, stunned with the mixture of the two names. "How cute!"

"Akari-chan!" Hinata scolded, waving her finger. "Ya don't need to be all complicated... Just call her 'Leaf-chan', like me!"

"O-Okay..." Akari looked forward, her face a deep shade of blink that rivaled her hair color.

"I-It's really nice to meet you Le...Leaf-chan."

Dead silence.

Ichiyou grinned. "It's nice to meet you too, Akari-chan!"

Hinata clapped. "Way to go, Akari-chan!"

Akari let out a sigh of relief, and Yuki just smiled.

"Moriko-chan, didn't the very same thing happen some time after when Saiki-kun and I first met Akemi-chan?"

Moriko laughed. "You remember too? It sure was interesting."

"_O-Ouji-sama..." the crystal witch apprentice started, blushing a light shade of pink. "Is it around here?"_

"_That's quite enough of that." Yuki scolded, holding up her finger. "Saiki-kun is Saiki-kun. No doubt about it."_

"_O-Oh..." she stammered, eyes going back to the picture of who knows what that she was Moriko were instructed to find for their witch exam._

"_Yuki-chan, you may be a higher level, but you can't expect anymore from Akemi-chan!" Moriko defended, obviously annoyed._

_Yuki sighed. "But can't you at least just call him 'Saiki-kun'? It's not that formal of a name... In fact, it's a very nice name!"_

_Saiki just blushed and muttered something along the lines of "It's no problem, __**really**__."_

_Moriko groaned. "Saiki-kun?"_

"_Yes?" he almost automatically responded, perking up. "Er... Sorry... Akemi-chan was it? But Onii-chan goes by the same title..."_

_Yuki giggled, taking her (currently) best friend's arm. "See? Saiki-kun only responds to Saiki-kun!"_

"_Y-Yuki-chan..."_

_Moriko made a "huh" sound. "Well I don't mean to be rude... After all, we did just pretty much waltz in... Sorry bout that."_

_Akemi flustered. "S-Sorry..."_

"_Ah it's nothing, nothing!" Yuki answered in a sing-song voice, waving her hand. "I see lots of apprentices! You two are no different, after all..."_

"_Then allow us... Ahem." Moriko cleared her throat. "Watashi no Takahashi Moriko da."_

"_Moriko-chan." Saiki and Yuki repeated at the same time, once again letting the name sink in._

"_Saiki-kun... Yuki-chan... A pleasure to meet you both!" the jade witch exclaimed, grinning. "Now, Akemi-chan...?"_

_Akemi gulped. "Atashi no... no... Atashi no Suzuki Akemi desu!" She bowed deeply. "Nice to meet you both, er..."_

_Looking up, she let out a sigh. "Yu... Yuki-chan."_

_Yuki smiled brightly. "Akemi-chan."_

"_And... Ou... No... Sai... Saiki-kun! Nice to meet you, Saiki-kun!"_

_Saiki looked surprised but smiled. "Hai, Akemi-chan."_

_Akemi smiled brightly, looking relieved. Moriko just clapped._

"_Now THAT'S my Akemi-chan!!"_

Moriko laughed at the memory. _Akemi-chan was always so cute, even back then..._

"So... Leaf-chan..." Akari started, still blushing. "You know about the elementals... As well as Saiki-kun?"

"What about Saiki-kun?"

'Leaf' just looked plain confused, but Nick sighed. "Forgot to mention it, Akari-chan."

"O-Oh..." she muttered, letting out a disappointed sigh. "That is, Saiki-kun's like me."

Ichiyou's eyes widened. "You're _kidding_..."

"I'm afraid not."

Yuki instantly perked up and her eyes went wide, drinking in the sight of none other then her boyfriend standing there, Kurumi not too far behind.

The black witch covered her mouth in shock.

"Sai... _Saiki-kun_."

"Ichiyou-chan, long time no see." Saiki stated quietly, though eyes on Yuki.

Ichiyou nodded. "Y-yeah... Saiki-kun..."

"What happened?" Kurumi wondered, shrugging. "Last I heard, you and Haruka-chan were on some world-tour."

"We... We returned for the time being." The summerleaf witch explained. "You mind, Kurumi-chan?"

"Oh... Not at all..."

Akari gulped. "L-Leaf-chan... You really didn't know?"

"No..."

"Well then, if that's the case." Moriko walked up, a suspicious look in her eyes.

"We have a lot to explain. First thing's first though, Nick-kun..."

Nick perked up, and Akemi walked up, right by Moriko's side.

"We'd like to know... What happened while we were gone?"

Akemi blushed darkly.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to... But the information of Hinata-chan's power may come of use in the future."

Akari clasped her hands together.

"It can't be helped..." she muttered to herself. "It just can't be helped..."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Gaul. You were defeated again. I thought you told me that there would be no more screw-ups."

Gaul bowed. "Forgive me, Master Malefor, but one of the elemental girls mastered her powers, and you know what cold does to our kind."

"Just consider yourself lucky you weren't killed by the girl. Her command of the element of snow can be considered lethal if you are not careful."

"The problem was that I did not notice her powers until they actually came out. And I thought that elemental twins were only born once every thousand years..."

"It was the comet. The passing of Orion's Comet caused an early awakening of the girls' elemental powers."

"If I could just capture them without those meddlesome Ojamajos interfering, I would be able to use their powers to break the seal on the Eternal Night and revive you, Master Malefor."

"I will be waiting, Gaul. You had best not fail me again."

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"Whoa..." Moriko stated, her jaw hanging open after Nick had finished recounting the tale of how Hinata had basically wiped the floor with Gaul.

"It was amazing, Mori-chan. You should have seen Hinata-chan in action back there!!" Nick exclaimed.

"So I basically missed the action. DRAT!!" Moriko exclaimed. Akemi simply giggled.

"_Ride out the storm..."_

Nick perked up at this new voice. "Who was that?"

Momoko looked a little confused. "Who was what?"

"You're telling me that you didn't hear that?" Nick asked, wondering why he was the only one who had heard this mysterious voice.

"_Your power is awakening, young one."_

"There it is again! You guys aren't hearing this?" Nick asked again.

"_But you are still young. You need practice if you are ever to master these abilities."_

Before Nick could respond to this, he suddenly felt dizzy. With a small squeak, he collapsed on the floor to a chorus of gasps from his friends.

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_Nick slowly regained his senses, only to find that he was no longer in the MAHO-dou, but inside a mysterious, temple-like structure._

"_What the...? Would someone like to explain just what the hell is going on here?" Nick asked, never known for his patience._

'_So impatient, young Nick. Your recklessness will destroy you if you are not careful.'_

"_All right, mystery voice, so we've established that you know who I am," Nick stated. "Would you like to introduce yourself?"_

'_In due time, my young one.'_

"_Whatever. Now would you like to explain why I'm here?"_

'_You possess many special abilities that will be useful in the battle against your nemesis the Ape King. However, these abilities rest inside you, waiting for the time when they will be awakened.'_

_Before Nick could get his bearings, several ugly-looking creatures popped up all around him, basically surrounding him._

_Nick quickly reached into his pocket, only to find that his Chojiku Poron wasn't there._

"_Great!!" Nick exclaimed sarcastically. "How the heck am I supposed to fight without my weapon OR my magic?!"_

'_Remember, young one. You possess great innate abilities. Use them in your fight.'_

_Deciding to trust this voice for now, Nick crossed his arms and concentrated. AS the creatures were about to jump him, they were all caught in a strange, transparent energy field that was surrounding Nick._

"_W-what the...?" Nick shouted._

'_Do not be afraid, young one. Do not fear the power that lies before you. Seize it and control it. Make it your own.'_

_Obeying the strange command, Nick threw his arms out, and the energy surrounding him expanded until it filled the entire room, throwing all of the creatures against the wall rather painfully._

"_Wow. That was pretty cool," Nick stated. "Is this what you were telling me about, voice?"_

'_All that and more, young one. You will discover more of these powers as you progress on your journey. But for now, traverse the temple and show me what you know.'_

_A door at the other end opened, revealing a pathway for Nick to follow._

"_Okay. What should I do?"_

_This time, no response came._

"_All right, so now this guy's ignoring me," Nick noted. "Guess I'm on my own."_

_Nick walked through the doorway, ready to test his new power._

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"Nick? NICK?!" Momoko shook her boyfriend to no avail.

"Nick... Speak to me!"

"What the heck just HAPPENED?!" Moriko demanded to no one in particular, twitching. "Out of nowhere, Nick-kun... just... JUST FAINTED ON US!!"

"Nick-kun..." Yuki murmured. "Saiki-kun, is he...?"

"He's alright. No worries, Yuki-chan... Momoko-chan."

Momoko glanced at him, a little suspicious.

"So... what happened to him?"

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"_Man... No points for interior decorating..." Nick muttered to himself as he looked down the walls._

"_There's absolutely no color."_

_Finally, he reached a large circular room._

"_W... What?"_

'_Are you ready for your fate?'_

"_My fate, huh?" the boy mused, preparing himself._

"_Alright. Let's get this show on the road."_

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"So... What?" Hinata repeated for the fifth time, completely in the dark about what Saiki had just explained. "Spiritual _what_?"

"_Spiritual Teleportation_," Saiki corrected, sighing. "An old form of magic really... Not a lot of people are familiar with it... Unfortunately, I'm not exactly one of those people who _are_..."

"So... Who or what took Nick-kun?" Akari asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Who knows?"

"Well... What can we do?" Kurumi asked, her voice shaking. "Saiki-kun, just what... What can we do?"

"At this moment... Nothing."

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_Nick tensed up as he felt the creatures around him form._

"_Hopefully the same thing will work twice..." he muttered to himself, throwing out his arms, sending out another all-out energy wave that knocked down the creatures..._

_...Only for more to start showing up!!_

'_Great... just great...' Nick thought, making a face. 'Looks like this won't be so simple...'_

_Suddenly he tensed up and spun around, just in time to block a hit from one of the shadowy creatures._

"_Not... so... fast."_

_Quickly pushing the thing back, Nick formed a battle stance._

"_It's just begun."_

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Moriko paced around, obviously annoyed.

"How much longer... How much longer..."

"It hasn't even been five minutes, Moriko-chan..." Saiki sighed, glancing at the ticked off jade witch.

"You and your details!" Moriko snapped, waving her hands. "Well how about this, do something USEFUL!!"

"Moriko-chan!!" Yuki shouted, getting up. "I know you're upset but..."

"_Furious_, Yuki-chan. I'm _furious_," the stubborn girl corrected, shaking her fist. "I don't understand HALF the stuff that goes on... And nothing makes sense! To make matters worse, Nick-kun is on the floor out cold like someone knocked him out with a whole salami!"

Hinata couldn't help but giggle at the 'salami' comment, and Yuki flushed.

"That still doesn't give you any right to be mean, Moriko-chan!"

"So help me if I'm abrasive!" Moriko shot back, clenching her fists. "You... You're so annoying, Yuki-chan!"

"So help me," The black witch mocked, folding her arms.

"Oi..."

"Moriko-chan, that's quite enough!"

Moriko stopped and looked over at whoever said that, only to see a clearly displeased Akemi, her face a light shade of pink.

"A... Akemi-chan..." she muttered, too stunned to say anything else.

"M-Moriko-chan... You are being rude... And... You shouldn't take your anger out on Yuki-chan... And making a scapegoat out of everyone..." Akemi fiddled with her fingers.

"That's not... That's not nice. And it's not like you."

Silence.

"I'm sorry Yuki-chan," Moriko murmured, now looking down guiltily. "All that stuff I said... You are annoying... But that certainly doesn't mean that I don't like you..."

Yuki blushed. "Moriko-chan..."

"Oh and Saiki-kun? I'm sorry, too. After all, without you, Yuki-chan wouldn't even be here would she?"

Saiki perked up, and sighed. "Oh... really?"

"Who was the one who saved Yuki-chan from that fire demon right after breaking her heart again?" Moriko recalled, teasingly. "That was you, wasn't it?"

The younger prince blushed heavily.

"One occasion... That _really_ all?"

"Saiki-kun saved me in more ways possible..." Yuki murmured, quietly. "It wasn't just that one occasion."

"Hm?" Saiki glanced at his girlfriend. "Yuki-chan...?"

"If it hadn't of been for Saiki-kun... I don't know how many times I would of just given up. S-Saiki-kun...!!"

The black witch met his eyes, her entire face flushed red.

"It's said... Only two people can truly make 'koi' become 'ai'. Saiki-kun... Ai... _Aishiteru_."

"Yuki-chan..." Saiki blushed darkly before casting his gaze away from her face.

Akari blinked. _So it's true..._

"How sweet..." Kurumi commented with a smile before getting up.

"However... We have more important matters at hand... If Gaul attacks while Nick-kun is out..."

"Then I'll make him suffer," Hinata finished, punching into her palm. "No WAY am I letting that creep near Akari-chan."

"I'm with you, Hinata-chan. After all, I really need to redeem myself after that last screw-up..." Yuki took in a deep breath.

"_Watashi... makenai_!"

Akari blushed.

_Hinata-chan... Yuki-chan..._

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_Nick breathed heavily as the rest of the creatures vanished, and held up his hands, which were now glowing with a rather peculiar aura._

"_Just what is this...?"_

'_Well done, Nick. You may as well of been born an elemental.'_

"_Who are you?" Nick asked again, looking around for the source of the voice._

'_Be patient, dear boy. The test is nearly through... Ah... Do you have anyone special to you?'_

"_What's that got to do with anything?"_

'_Simple.'_

_Nick's eyes widened as an image of his girlfriend's smiling face appeared in front of him._

"_Momoko..."_

_The mystery voice seemed to chuckle at the young warrior's reaction._

'_A fine one, eh? Don't forget that she's not the only one...'_

_Nick quickly snapped out of his trance, waving his hand to clear away the image. "Fine... FINE. You got my attention. What now?"_

'_In time, young one. In time... Now, go forward.'_

_Nick turned to the pathway that appeared in front of him, and sighed._

"_Right..."_

'_Momoko...' he thought quietly. 'Just wait...'_

"_I'll hurry back, Momoko... I promise."_

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

_Nick continued to proceed through the mysterious temple, facing many confusing tests that would bring his newly-acquired telekinetic powers into practice. In one of the rooms, he'd actually had to jump on a platform, then use his power to activate a switch on the other side of the room in order to proceed._

_Upon reaching the final room of the area, Nick was presented with a strange mural that showed a demonic mountain that gave him the creeps._

"_Okay, why does that painting creep me out?" Nick asked as he approached._

'_This is an evil place, Nick. It is called the Mountain of Malefor, asylum to the wandering phantoms and lost spirits of those who had turned to darkness. But to the spirits themselves and the black hearted, it goes by another name: The Well of Souls.'_

"_I'll just bet that's where Gaul's holed up," Nick noted. "That little bastard is persistent."_

'_You have come quite far, young one,' the mystery voice responded. 'Now, I will show you what you must prevent with this power.'_

_The picture on the mural shifted to one that showed an army of apes moving towards the demonic mountain and two moons drawing ever closer to each other._

"_Wait a minute... I've seen those moons before!" Nick exclaimed. "What the hell's going on?!"_

'_It is their calling. The black hearted creatures of this world cannot resist its temptation. The Well of Souls beckons them as the Night of Eternal Darkness approaches.'_

"_Night of Eternal Darkness?" Nick repeated. "It's gotta be related to the Eternal Night that Gaul keeps yapping on and on and on about..."_

'_It is the night when the Celestial Moons come together in a great eclipse... that shrouds our world in darkness. The Well of Souls is the pinnacle of its terrible shadow... stirring the spirits of the deceased from their eternal rest and permitting them to roam freely within the halls of the mountain... if only for a short while. And soon, the Night of Eternal Darkness will be upon us. Only you and your friends have the power to stop the Ape King and bring light back to our kind.'_

"_All right, I'm starting to get a little impatient, voice, so why don't you show yourself?!" Nick demanded._

_As if responding to Nick's demand, a rather old man stepped out from behind the mural._

"_You are the first to see me in such a state," the old man responded. "You may call me the Chronicler. I have seen every moment of history since time began, and recorded it in my journals for safekeeping."_

"_So, you're telling me you can see the future?" Nick responded._

"_Not necessarily," the Chronicler responded, his long, silk-white hair flowing in an unseen breeze. "I can only make predictions. You know as well as anyone that the future is not set in stone. For example, I predicted Gaul's uprising mere moments after your family was broken apart, yet with your special one by your side, you and your friends found the strength and courage to rise up against the Ape King's plans."_

"_It seems like you know a lot about Gaul," Nick noted. "Almost like you were friends with him or something."_

"_Long ago, yes," the Chronicler said. "Let me tell you a story, Nick. Many eons ago, on a distant planet, I was exploring and looking for new records to add to my journals, when I came upon a young ape, battered and betrayed by his own kinsfolk. I showed mercy to someone who had been shown none by his own kind. I took him in and he told me his story, a sad story of how his inability to master the elemental powers that his supposed friends had already taken control of had sent him into exile by his own tribe. Being a master of such abilities, I opted to tutor him. At first, he mastered fire... which was odd because he was not born of a fire elemental. Then came ice and wind... and other abilities none thought possible. Is this story sounding familiar?"_

"_It was Gaul, wasn't it?" Nick asked. "I never would have believed it."_

_The Chronicler nodded. "Yes. It was hard for me to believe at first, as well. In the beginning, he was encouraged... and secrets of elemental mastery were passed onto him willingly by the elders of the Majokai. But his power... was limitless... it knew no boundary. He consumed... everything. When he would not stop, he was cast into exile once more. And from his new fortress within the Mountain of Malefor, he built an army of apes... and taught them to artificially harness the power of the Crystal Hearts... our kind's life force. Then, he had heard legends of a dark being of immeasurable power. Hoping to add that energy to his own hopes of conquering all life in existence, he began collecting energy from planets and galaxies that fell in his wake, all in order to revive what is known as the 'great beast'."_

"_You're talking about the Dark Master," Nick noted, to which the Chronicler nodded again._

"_Yes. And in his dark seclusion, the sheer weight of his malice cracked the very foundations of the mountain, splitting the earth, creating a pit of despair... where the lost souls of this world could reside. The Well of Souls... created by the very beast who now seeks to escape it."_

"_So, Gaul's not even from around this place," Nick stated, summarizing the story that the Chronicler had told him, "and he's out for revenge against those who betrayed him by collecting energy to unleash the Dark Master?"_

"_Yes, my young one," the Chronicler responded. "These are dark times, and many have fallen under the wrath of the Ape King. But, I have confidence that you and your friends will have the courage and faith to triumph over the Ape King and stop the Night of Eternal Darkness from happening."_

"_That's kinda going to be a moot point if I'm stuck in this mysterious world," Nick noted. "I need to get back. The others are probably worried sick about me..."_

"_Then take your leave and fight your fights," the Chronicler stated, taking a few steps back and revealing a shining door of light. "I now impart on you a new ability that shall be most useful in your quest."_

_With that, the Chronicler held his staff towards Nick, and he glowed with a bright purple light._

"_What... what kind of ability is it?" Nick asked, not feeling anything out of the ordinary._

"_When the time comes, you will know," the Chronicler responded. "There is one more thing I wish to share with you for now."_

"_This won't be the last time we meet, huh?" Nick asked._

"_Remember the girl dressed in silver clothes..."_

"_You mean Kurumi-chan?"_

"_The two of you together will play quite a pivotal role in the eventual downfall of Gaul and his forces. You would do good to remember that."_

_With that, the Chronicler took his leave, leaving Nick to face the glowing door that would lead him back to the waking world._

"_All right then," Nick noted, directing his statement towards the Chronicler, wherever he was now. "Until the next time..."_

_Nothing more said, Nick walked into the glowing door._

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"_Urgh_..."

"Ah, looks like he's awake."

"N-Nick?"

Nick's eyes fluttered open, his vision eventually focusing on the worried gaze of his girlfriend.

"M...Momoko?"

Momoko let out a sigh of relief. "Saiki-kun was right... All we needed to do was wait..."

Nick got up, looking at every face of his friends.

"Um... Ohayou, everyone."

"'Ohayou'? I was worried sick about you, Nick-kun!" Moriko scolded, hands on hips. "Next time you faint, give us a fair warning!!"

Nick couldn't help but crack a smile. "I'll... I'll keep that in mind, Mori-chan."

"Moriko-chan..." Akemi started, placing her hand on the jade witch's shoulder. Moriko perked up, blushed, and just smiled at Akemi.

The crystal witch shyly smiled herself before turning to Nick.

"But it really is a huge relief to see you again, Nick-kun. I was really worried... But I knew you would wake up soon..."

She blushed. "So, um... It's a relief! It's great to see you awake, Nick-kun!"

Nick just blushed himself and nodded. "Thanks... Akemi-chan."

"So..."

Nick instantly perked up and stared at Kurumi, the words the Chronicler had said replaying in his mind.

"_The two of you together will play quite a pivotal role in the eventual downfall of Gaul and his forces. You would do good to remember that."_

_I wonder..._ he pondered, eyes still on the gray apprentice. _Just what he meant by that..._

Kurumi then noticed the thoughtful look he was giving her, and began to feel a little uncomfortable. "Um... Hi?"

Nick snapped out of it, and sighed. "Kurumi-chan... You will NOT believe me if I told you..."

"Told me what? That you decided to ditch Momoko because you realized your undying love for me?"

Silence. Momoko practically forced a smile, and shook her fist.

"Very funny, Kurumi-chan."

"Um... no."

"Hah, you should see the look on your face!" Kurumi teased, pointing at him. "Nick-kun, of course I was joking... So... What did you want to tell me, huh?"

"What exactly happened while you were out of it, Nick-kun?" Saiki couldn't help but ask, a little curious.

"Long story short, Saiki-kun. I met some guy who referred to himself as the Chronicler and learned that I now have some mysterious new power... Oh, and Kurumi-chan right here has to help me stop Gaul before this Night of Eternal Darkness." Kurumi blinked twice.

"Uh, you sure this Chronicler guy isn't just crazy?"

"Unfortunately not, Kurumi-chan." Nick responded, laughing a bit. He didn't exactly believe it either.

"Maybe he just had me confused with Yuki-chan..." the gray witch murmured, looking down at her feet. "I mean... I'm a regular apprentice. She's the one with twilight energy... And Saiki-kun by her side." She spoke the last line with a bit of envy, but no one seemed to notice.

"Kurumi-chan..." Yuki and Akari started, both filled with concern for their friend.

"He said 'girl dressed in silver clothes', Kurumi-chan," Nick answered. "I'm pretty sure he meant you."

Kurumi blushed, and sighed, eyes trailing off to the wall.

"That proves it, that man was probably insane. I wear _gray_, not silver. Insane, or talking about some other chick."

"Is that so?" Nick's eyes scanned the child model. "You should take a closer look then, Kurumi-chan..."

Kurumi blushed. "Nick-kun..."

"So... What is the 'Eternal Night' anyway?" Saiki asked, getting straight to the point.

"When two moons collide is what I heard," Nick recalled, drawing a circle with his finger. "An eclipse, was it?"

This seemed to catch Saiki's attention.

"An eclipse... As in, when the two Celestial Moons join one another?"

"Yes... Saiki-kun, you know about it?"

"I used to wish for it a lot when I was little..." the wizard mumbled, growling. "It's when my power's the strongest."

Yuki perked up, now totally confused.

"A shroud of darkness... Saiki-kun, night and darkness are two different things."

"Not in the case of an elemental. I get power from the dark element... Of course, it didn't necessarily mean dark magic, just a form of it... Nothing harmful really, unless during the 'Eternal Night' that Nick-kun over here just mentioned."

"Interesting..." Hinata started. "So, Saiki-kun..."

"It was _before_ I knew," He huffed, sighing deeply. "I thought... a little selfishly back then. But once I had learned about its dangers... Well... The answer should be obvious. I'd rather die than harm Onii-chan."

Glancing at his girlfriend, he quickly added. "Or Yuki-chan."

"How romantic..." Moriko giggled before sighing. "But this is a prophecy, not a prediction, Nick-kun. I happen to know a lot about things like this..."

"Oh really, Mori-chan?" Nick grinned. "Glad to hear of it."

"But if what Moriko-chan and that... Chronicler guy says is true..." Akari stammered. "Then how... How are we supposed to be able to stop that monkey?"

"I honestly have no clue," Nick admitted, laughing a bit. "But we still gotta try, don't we?"

"Yes," Momoko agreed, getting up. "We've gotten through tough stuff before, so why stop now?"

Yuki grinned. "I'll never give up, so why start? Saiki-kun... Didn't Nick-kun once say that dark magic can be used for good? It's only called dark magic because people fear its power so..."

"It's just misunderstood," Saiki finished for her, with a smile. "Yuki-chan... You would know that better than anyone."

Yuki blushed heavily, but just leaned over and pecked his cheek. "I really like you. Saiki-kun... You're the most precious person in the world to me..."

Her boyfriend blushed. "Y-Yuki-chan..."

His eyes widened as Yuki approached his face, her lips puckered up. Without a second thought, he quickly turned away, and Yuki lightly kissed his cheek, sighing.

"Saiki-kun..." she murmured, a little hurt.

"S-Sorry..." he whispered before getting up. "Yuki-chan, I..."

Yuki just smiled sadly and shook her head.

"Mm. No worries."

Turning to Nick, she quickly took a deep breath.

"So... How exactly is Kurumi-chan going to help stop Gaul, huh?"

He shrugged. "Who knows?"

Kurumi groaned. "Ooo, let's be reasonable! How am I supposed to stop some overgrown monkey and his army?"

"You could always throw a banana at it," Moriko suggested, teasingly.

"Oh. _Great_ idea," Kurumi responded sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "BE SERIOUS, WILL YA?!"

"Yeesh. Sorry," Moriko replied, raising an eyebrow.

Akari flustered. "Maybe... There's more than what meets the eye, Kurumi-chan? I, uh... Who knows?"

Kurumi just sighed and opened the door, walking outside to stare at the cloudy sky.

"Kurumi-chan..." Nick turned to his friends and nodded before walking out to join her.

"I still can't believe it..." Kurumi murmured, looking down. "My powers are nothing compared to Yuki-chan's, so why..."

"Kurumi-chan..."

"Nick-kun."

Kurumi faced him, smiling brightly.

"Let's just do our best, okay?"

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Of course, Kurumi-chan," Nick responded. "What's the reason not to?"

"Nick-kun, can I tell you something?" Kurumi asked. "I want you to promise me that you won't tell Akemi-chan or Moriko-chan or anyone else about this. This is just going to stay between you and me, and you'll take it to your grave with you, okay?"

Nick nodded. "Promise, Kurumi-chan."

"Okay. About a month ago, I had a very strange dream that I think has something to do with all of this..." Kurumi explained. "It kinda reminded me of the fire that... you know..."

(flashback, Kurumi's P.O.V.)

_I looked around, unable to see anything beyond the fire's orange-red color. Was it mocking me again, just like it had when it killed my parents?_

"_Okay... this is scaring me... can someone tell me WHAT'S GOING ON?!"_

_I gazed towards the right... there was someone there._

"_Who are you?!" I cried out. "What's going on?!"_

"_Ride out this storm... and live to fight another day," the mysterious figure stated before disappearing._

_I spun around upon hearing a new voice. It sounded like a low growl, unlike anything I'd ever heard of before._

"_The power of moonlight shall soon be mine..." the growling voice stated. "Hahaha! Nothing can prevent this. We are merely here to welcome our Master back into the realm and join him at his side. Long have we waited! Long have we suffered! But soon, our Master will return... and his coming shall bring forth a new age of power for the Apes... and we shall have our revenge!"_

"_You won't get away with this!!" I shouted. "I won't let you!!"_

"_Hmph. You really understand nothing, little one," the low, growling voice responded. "There is nothing that will stop our Master's return. It has already been written."_

_The figure with the crackling voice stepped out from behind the fire. I couldn't really make out who it was, but he looked sort of like a monkey._

"_If you wish to perish by our Master's hand, then you shall have the privilege of being the first," the ape figure responded. "They will all pay for their treachery. No one will be able to stop me. Not even you, moonlight girl."_

_The monkey laughed viciously as the fire inched closer to me._

(end flashback)

"I woke up screaming after that," Kurumi continued. Nick's eyes were wide by the time Kurumi was done. "The most peculiar line was from the guy that appeared before Gaul did. He said 'Ride out this storm'..."

"...and live to fight another day," Nick finished, remembering that the Chronicler had spoken the exact same words to him.

"What does Gaul want with my moonlight powers?" Kurumi wondered. "Isn't he after Akari-chan and Hinata-chan's powers?"

"I think I have an idea, Kurumi-chan," Nick replied. "When I was talking to the Chronicler, he explained that Gaul is searching for specific elements, more specifically, the ones the Dark Master learned to control during his old rule thousands of years ago. I learned that Gaul has a particular command of the power of moonlight to balance out the darkness within him. Unfortunately for him, he can't use his own moonlight power to bring about the Dark Master's resurrection, since it's been unbalanced by his dark powers. In order to do that, he needs to bring a pure soul that has complete command of the powers of moonlight."

"...like me," Kurumi concluded.

"Gaul is probably going to be coming after you while he's trying to capture Hinata-chan and Akari-chan," Nick explained. "So we're going to need to keep our guard up. Well, more than we usually do..."

"I've never been as strong as Yuki-chan... what's going to happen if Gaul DOES get me?" Kurumi wondered. Nick responded by draping his arms around the gray witch apprentice and pulling her close, causing her to blush like crazy.

"Stop thinking so far into the future, Kurumi-chan," Nick advised. "The Chronicler told me that the future is never set in stone. He said that he actually predicted Gaul's uprising after he'd attacked my family, but together, we've been able to stop all of his crazy schemes. Just trust in our abilities, and we'll be able to stop him before there's any more casualties. Okay?"

Kurumi could only nod, still blushing about being this close to Nick.

"Besides, if Gaul DOES try kidnapping you, he's going to have to answer to all of us... _especially _me," Nick continued.

Kurumi smiled, settling into Nick's embrace. "_Arigatou,_ Nick-kun."

They stood like that for a few seconds, the moment only interrupted by Doremi's panicked voice as she rushed over to the MAHO-dou.

"Kellysi-chan!! We've got big trouble!!" Doremi exclaimed.

"What's the matter, Doremi-chan?" Nick wondered. Doremi simply pointed down the street, where Gaul was carrying someone...

...someone that Nick recognized.

"Miyuki-onee-chan?" Nick wondered.

This surprised Yuki. "Nick-kun... I didn't know you had a sister..."

When she turned to face Nick, he had already rushed towards Gaul.

"LET ME GO, YOU OVERGROWN APE!!" Miyuki exclaimed. The fifteen-year-old with long, pink hair pounded on Gaul's muscular arm, trying her best to break free, but no such luck.

"Shut up, brat," Gaul responded. "You will be perfect bait for my quarry."

Before he could finish explaining his latest dastardly plot, an emerald-green energy ripple shot from out of nowhere and knocked Gaul to the ground, allowing Miyuki to scramble to her feet and bolt away.

"Aah. I see you have arrived," Gaul noted.

"Kidnapping my sister, Gaul? THAT'S low, even for you," Nick stated, shifting into battle stance.

"Not even you will be able to stop me once I have the powers of moonlight AND twilight on my side. The Dark Master will be pleased with my victory today," Gaul stated.

"All right, that's it, Gaul! I'm done playing. Why don't we end this? Right here, RIGHT NOW?"

Gaul smirked. "I'd like that, kid."

Nick drew his Chojiku Poron, holding it into the sky.

"_Let the demon's luster shine brightly!! Hanyou Hikari!!"_

Once Nick had transformed, Gaul drew his swords.

"If you insist."

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

Kurumi held her hands close, obviously concerned for Nick's sake.

"Nick-kun..."

"Daijoubu da yo."

Kurumi perked up as Yuki walked beside her, smiling brightly. "Nick-kun is Nick-kun, after all Kurumi-chan... He'll be just fine."

"I sure... I sure hope you're right, Yuki-chan..."

"No worries!" Yuki exclaimed, winking. "Just sit back, and watch!"

The gray witch nodded, turning back to Nick, and sighed, her eyes flickering.

_For Nick-kun... As well as myself... I sure hope Yuki-chan knows what she's talking about._

However, at that very instant, the two of them had disappeared.

Kurumi's eyes widened to take in the miniature shockwaves from every impact.

_They're... They're both so fast!!_

"NICK-KUN!!" Moriko shouted. "Don't you dare lose on me!"

Nick couldn't help but smile at himself. _Same old Mori-chan..._

"P-Please just do your best!" Akemi shouted, blushing a bit. "I'll be rooting for you, Nick-kun!"

The green ojamajo nodded before shoving Gaul away and disappearing fast enough to strike from behind.

"Argh! Now you're going to get it!"

Nick lifted his fingers in a 'bring it' motion, and the two vanished again, everyone trying to keep up with every impact, wondering who hit who.

"Yeesh. Ever thought of slowing down a little?" Hinata wondered, grumbling a bit. Akari just sighed.

_I sure hope Nick-kun will be alright..._

Saiki lowered his eyelids. "It's a tie... If Nick-kun doesn't do something soon... Huh? Nick-kun, incoming on the left!!"

Nick quickly performed a side-step, just in time to dodge Gaul when he brought down both swords, making the two visible for the time being.

"That was close... Thanks, Saiki-kun," Nick stated before Gaul growled.

"That elemental better be glad I don't need him... At least, not until the 'Eternal Night' has begun."

Yuki's eyes widened.

_W-What?! So Saiki-kun said... That wouldn't mean..._

"No WAY, Gaul!" she shouted, clenching her fists. "I'll DIE before I let you lay a finger on Saiki-kun!!"

Saiki perked up, staring at his girlfriend. "Yu...Yuki-chan..."

Kurumi flinched, and blushed.

_What, really? That alone makes me feel nervous! I STILL haven't gotten over my stupid crush!_

Nick remained silent but Gaul smirked. "Hmph. Looks like the twilight girl has more spunk than I originally thought. The master would be pleased with such a prize..."

Nick's eyes immediately widened and he slashed at Gaul with as much force as he could muster.

"DON'T even think about it."

The Ape King merely chuckled. "I like your spirit, kid. But you're not what I came for."

Suddenly, Nick was hit in the back. HARD. Falling down, Gaul jumped past, making Kurumi's eyes widen in surprise.

_Oh, no..._

Using quick thinking, Kurumi latched herself onto Yuki, surprising her.

"K-Kurumi-chan!!"

Within moments, Kurumi had copied Yuki's clothes on her own body. The long, free hair flowing underneath her waist was now the only difference between the two girls.

"You really think that'll work on me, Sayoko?!" Gaul slashed through the two girls, not only sending them rolling into the ground, but...

...Effectively undoing the ponytail holder at the bottom of Yuki's hair, and making her hair flow freely, just like Kurumi's.

"Yuki-chan!! Kurumi-chan!!" Saiki exclaimed, clearly worried.

Akari gasped. "O-Oh no..."

Nick quickly jumped up, tensed up, now completely unable to tell who was who...

Until he noticed one of the girls get up slowly, and reach for Yuki's holder.

"N-Not too shabby, Gaul..." she replied, her voice too raspy to recognize as she fixed her hair with Yuki's holder.

Nick quickly deducted that was Yuki. _Glad to see she's alright..._

Yuki didn't bother facing him, but instead casted her gaze towards the unconscious Kurumi in the grass.

"I'm so sorry..." she whispered.

"Enough of this... What I NEED is the Sayoko girl," Gaul growled, swiping Yuki away, and grabbing Kurumi.

Yuki seemed shocked at this. "N-No..."

"KURUMI-CHAN!!" Nick yelled, immediately rushing forward. "Let her GO, NOW!!"

Gaul turned to Nick and smirked. "Maybe another time, kid. For now, you and your friends are on a warning. Farewell."

And with that, he faded away, along with Kurumi.

"Kurumi-chan!!" Nick yelled again before closing his eyes. "I... I couldn't protect her... And right after I promised to..."

"N-Nick-kun... Wait a minute..." Yuki's voice wavered.

Saiki walked up to Yuki. "Yuki-chan, are you..."

He stopped on a dime when he saw Yuki's face, his eyes widening in shock. Yuki apparently noticed, and blushed darkly.

"Sai... Saiki-kun..."

"Nick-kun, I don't think you need to worry about breaking your promise to Kurumi-chan..." he mumbled, earning a confused glance.

"What do you mean, Saiki-kun?"

"I mean... There's Kurumi-chan right there."

Nick's eyes widened, and turned to 'Yuki'. His attention was caught when he saw her shining, brown eyes.

_Saiki had said Yuki's sparkled._

"K-Kurumi-chan..." he started, almost in disbelief. "But... How?"

"The spell masked our auras..." Kurumi murmured, hugging her knees. "All I needed was Gaul to know out Yuki's hair decoration, and for me to put it on for him to get truly confused..."

She sighed heavily. "But I hadn't planned on Yuki-chan fainting..."

Saiki clenched his fists.

"So... _Yuki-chan_ was the one taken by Gaul."

"I'm sorry, Saiki-kun... I honestly..."

Kurumi stopped, and blushed, looking at the ground with a guilt-filled heart. Like apologizing will bring her back...

"Gaul said Yuki-chan would be quite a prize..." Nick recalled, growling. "Don't worry Saiki-kun, we'll definitely get her back."

"Yuki-chan..." Saiki murmured before Akari walked up and embraced him from behind.

"A-Akari-chan?"

"We'll get Yuki-chan back..." Akari repeated softly, blushing a bit. "Saiki-kun, no need to worry."

The younger prince blushed himself before sighing.

"Thank you, Akari-chan."

"So..." Moriko walked up, her arms folded. "Kurumi-chan, you have a plan, RIGHT?"

Kurumi perked up and nodded.

"Yes... Actually."

Doremi let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good..."

"But there's still one problem..." Momoko started, looking down.

"We... We have no idea where Gaul is."

"Ah, we'll figure it out." Hinata responded, waving her hand. "How hard could it be to spot him?"

Riiko sighed. "I sure hope we CAN find him, though..."

"I can spot Yuki-chan's energy anywhere, anytime. It'll be easy." Saiki looked up.

"Locating her won't be very hard... But getting her back from Gaul is another story entirely. Still, no way am I giving up my Yuki-chan without a fight."

"Well said, Saiki-kun." Nick grinned, while Moriko giggled.

"My, you've never called Yuki-chan yours, Saiki-kun..."

Saiki sighed. "She's my girlfriend... Isn't she...? Either way..."

"Oh, Yuki-chan... Just hang in there..."

_...Please, be safe._

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"So, what are we going to do now?" Kurumi asked.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do," Nick stated with a firmness to his voice that no one else had seen before. "We're going up to the Mountain of Malefor, and hopefully we'll be able to stop Gaul and rescue Yuki-chan before the Night of Eternal Darkness. He won't be expecting to fight ALL of us, so we've got the advantage."

"There's just one problem with that, Nick-kun," Saiki responded. "Everyone who's made an attempt to ascend the Mountain of Malefor has died. We can't just expect the trip to be easy on us like that."

"We've got to try, Saiki-kun. Yuki-chan's depending on us, as is the rest of the world. You know damn well what could happen if the Dark Master is released on the world. You know what it was like when he ruled thousands of years ago, right?"

Saiki could only nod, preferring to forget the tales he'd read about THAT specific subject...

"Then we're not going to back down from this mission. This is going to be our only chance. Gaul now has all of the elements he needs to free the Dark Master from his captivity. We've got to climb that mountain and stop him. Now who's with me?"

"Do you even have to ask, Kellysi-chan?" Doremi noted.

"We're all with you to the very end," Momoko stated. "No matter what Gaul decides to pull, we'll stick by you to the end of time if we have to."

"Truer words have never been spoken, Momoko," Nick responded. "Now let's move out!! We've got a mountain to climb!!"

_Five days later, at the Well of Souls..._

Yuki slowly stirred, wondering where she was (and for that matter, what that god-awful smell was) and why she felt so groggy. When she gazed to her right, she noticed that something was chaining her to the nearby rock face. She struggled to break the chains, but they were just too damn strong.

Yuki tried calling on her magic, but it was to no avail; _something_ in these blasted chains was disabling the use of her magic.

_Well, that's just perfect. Could someone tell me how the HELL I'M SUPPOSED TO GET OUT OF HERE?!_ Yuki thought, thrashing about in a vain effort to break the chains.

"You don't," one of Gaul's ape minions stated, as if reading Yuki's thoughts. "You had best stay there if you know what's good for you."

"Why the hell are you guys doing this?!" Yuki demanded. "Don't you know what Gaul is trying to accomplish? He's an evil bastard who wants to destroy the entire world!! Don't you realize what kind of power he has? Once he's accomplished his goal of releasing the Dark Master, he'll probably just say 'fee fi fo fum' and slaughter the whole lot of you!!"

The apes around her... actually seemed to be contemplating this explanation.

"That... is why we serve Gaul. We have nowhere else to go. We were abandoned by our kind, and Gaul offered us a chance to live," one of the apes responded.

"We are actually very scared of the power Gaul has," another ape stated. "We wish for our freedom, but we do not dare to betray the master. You know as well as we do what kind of power he has. If we ever made our own move, we could easily be slaughtered."

"If you let me go, I could get you out of here and take you somewhere were Gaul will NEVER find you!!" Yuki exclaimed. She knew that the apes were telling the truth. She could somehow sense it.

"Would you really do that for us?" the first ape asked.

"Of course!! Just let me out of these chains and I'll get you out!" Yuki proclaimed. Sensing the honesty and kindness in her words, the second ape reached out and cut the chains off, allowing Yuki to drop the stone ground.

"That's much better. Now, hold on, ape boys," Yuki stated before raising her hands, which began glowing with a coal-black light.

"_Pururunu pikapikan chanchii..."_

However, before Yuki could chant her spell, a spray of blood caught her eyes. She looked forward to see that the two apes that had freed her had been brutally stabbed by one of Gaul's trademark longswords.

"Why do the villains always have such freaking long swords?" Yuki asked herself.

"So, I see you tried to convince some of my soldiers to betray me," Gaul growled. "You are more resourceful than I thought, Shinoya."

"How could you do something like that to your own kind, Gaul?!" Yuki demanded. "They were your brethren, and you slaughtered them like it didn't even matter to you!! Are you really that damn heartless?!"

"I have no need for such pathetic emotions. They will only drag me down in my quest to revive the Dark Master. But I am afraid that you have something I need."

Gaul raised his crystal staff towards Yuki, and it shot a beam of dark energy that pierced her chest. Yuki couldn't do much but scream in agony as the dark beam extracted a glowing ball of aquatic blue light.

"The final element. The power of twilight is mine," Gaul stated as Yuki fell to the ground, unconscious.

That night, Gaul and his apes were situated in the central chamber of the Well of Souls, a massive purple beam shooting into the sky from the center of the room. Gaul was dispersing the elements he'd collected into the beam of light.

"Soon, my master. Soon," Gaul stated, only to notice a collection of figures standing in the entrance area.

"Where are we?" Moriko asked, searching the area.

"The better question is, what's that god-awful smell?" Aiko asked, holding her nose.

Gaul could only laugh at this. "Ah, the whelplings. You have done quite well to make it up the Mountain of Malefor without getting yourselves destroyed in the process."

Gaul stood up from his post and walked towards Saiki and the fourteen Ojamajos. Akari and Hinata both stood behind Nick, who looked ready to fight at a moment's notice. "It's fitting that you all should be here tonight, as we bear witness to the dawn of a new age and the failure of your pathetic race of elementals."

Nick growled softly. "I wouldn't miss it, Gaul."

Responding to this, Gaul raised his staff towards Nick. "Then, please... have a seat."

Green energy shot from the staff, zapping Nick and making him fall to his knees.

"NICK!!" Momoko exclaimed, rushing to her boyfriend's aid.

"Hahahahaha! Foolish boy, you are no match!" Gaul growled.

"I've made it this far, haven't I?" Nick taunted.

"Yes, you have been quite elusive. Had I but known that all it would take would be your miserable amity for the elemental girls."

One of the nearby apes jumped from his post, ready to fight the Ojamajos, but Gaul raised his hand, saying he would have none of it.

"Don't touch them! The whelplings are mine."

With that, Gaul leapt down from his post to the ground level, drawing his gigantic swords.

"What have you done with Yuki-chan, you little bastard?!" Saiki exclaimed.

"The Shinoya girl is currently indisposed," Gaul explained. "Thankfully for you, she's still alive. All I did was extract her twilight power."

"I warned you that if you even harmed a hair on my precious Yuki-chan, I'd make you PAY, Gaul!! _Crescent Blade!!_"

Saiki raised his hands towards Gaul, unleashing hundreds of crescent-shaped energy blades. To his surprise, Gaul easily batted all of them away, swinging his gigantic swords easily.

"Oh, please. You could at least make it a challenge!!" Gaul exclaimed, leaping into the air and slamming his swords into the ground. This created a green energy ripple that Nick easily deflected with Hanyou Hikari.

"You know, I think we should even the playing field," Gaul stated, a portal opening behind the Ojamajos. Just then, a massive gust of wind burst forth from Gaul, pushing everyone but Nick and Kurumi into the portal.

"What did you do to them?!" Nick demanded.

"Oh, I just sent them to the future, where they will no longer be a problem. One of the many powers that the gathering of the elementals has given me."

"You... you're going to pay for that, you little freak!!" Kurumi exclaimed, taking Nick's hands into her own.

"I won't EVER forgive you for this!!" Kurumi continued.

"Such bold words, moonlight girl. Let us see if you have the power to back them up," Gaul taunted.

Nick squeezed Kurumi's hands tightly, making her blush.

"By all means, Gaul."

(Bonus by Yuki: YES!! Here it is! Our song for Act 1 will be 'Personal' by Aya Ueto! Sweet... Strong... Nicely done!)

(Footage: Akari's watching the full moon, sighing. Hinata soon joins her and they both frown as they continue skygazing.)

_ne konna koto tsuzukete itemo  
__shiawase wa mitsukaru no kana?_

_(Hey, do you think that if we continue going on like this...  
__Will we ever be able to find happiness?)_

(Footage: Kurumi is walking through the neighborhood, looking down. Akari soon runs up and we pan up to them as they both smile.)

_tarinai mono kazoete mitemo  
__kiri ga nai no wakatteru yo_

_(When I try to count what's missing in my life  
__I know that the list will keep going on and on)_

(Footage: Yuki and Saiki are seen looking out a window. We pan up just as Yuki sighes and Saiki pats her on the head.)

_shinario douri nante  
__umaku iku wake nai kara_

_(Everything all goes according to plans...  
__Of course, that will never happen.)_

(Footage: Momoko is shown leaving along with the rest of the Ojamajos, and waves goodbye to Nick, who waves bye as well, but soon sighes, a sad expression on his face.)

_toki ni wa zenbu  
__nagedashi taku naru_

_(At time, everything I have...  
__I just want to throw it all away)_

(Footage: Moriko is comforting a crying Akemi with her arm wrapped around her as they sit on a bench of an abandoned playground in a cloudy weather.)

_sonna hi ga attemo iiyone?_

_(Is it uncommon to have days like this?)_

(Footage: The sky soon clears up, causing the two girls to look up, rather confused. They both smile brightly as it becomes sunny.)

_hito wa minna okubyou dakara  
__yume wo miru no kana?_

_(Everyone is afraid, even though we don't show it...  
__Is that why we all dream?)_

(Footage: Akari and Hinata are shown flying magically through the nightsky with a pair of birds. Kurumi then walks up to the still bummed Nick and places her hand on his shoulder, and they both smile.)

_hito wa minna kodoku dakara  
__ai wo sagasu no kana?_

_(Everyone feeling lonely inside...  
__Is that why we look for love?)_

(Footage: Hinata and Akari continue their flight and giggle, joining hands. We then skip to a scene where Saiki's smiling at a tear-filled Yuki who quickly embraces him, and he returns the embrace fondly.)

_kitto chigau  
__basho de kimi mo_

_(Even though you're not here...  
__I know that wherever you are)_

(Footage: Hinata and Akari's eyes sparkle. And everyone looks up, all surprised, ending with Kurumi and Nick who blink twice.)

_onaji tsuki wo __miteru yo ne..._

_(You're looking at __the same moon as me.)_

(Footage: All of them are shown looking at the same moon, with Hinata and Akari stiing at the front, beaming. They then all smile brightly and laugh as the music ends.)


	10. MOVIE: Yukizora no Tomodachi Act 2

Act 2: And When the Sky Was Opened

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

Kurumi took in a deep breath. "Alright then, let's dance."

Releasing Nick's hand, she clenched her fists.

_We don't have Hinata-chan to weaken Gaul enough to the point where either Nick-kun or I could strike him down easily... But we'll manage, won't we?_

She huffed.

_We'll have to. There's no other choice._

"Nick-kun, are you ready?"

Nick nodded.

"You bet, Kurumi-chan."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_Urgh_..."

Yuki winced as she struggled to get back up on her feet, only to fail miserably.

"C-Che... It hurts..."

Catching her breath, she held out her hands and weakly snapped her fingers.

_Nothing happened_.

Yuki's eyes widened in horror.

_N-No..._

"M-My magic... My twilight energy! How come I can't summon it at a time like this?!"

The black witch then perked up, remembering when Gaul extracted the _element_ from her.

_Sou ka... Gaul... He... He took it from me._

Huffing, she clasping her hands together.

_But I'm not dead yet, so he must have left..._

Yuki gulped. "He must have left some of the dark magic... The kind my life is dependant on..."

_So there's hope? No..._

"That was the magic I had harmed Saiki-kun with..." the black witch recalled with a voice full of regret, remembering how seriously wounded her boyfriend was after taking the hit. "I told him I wouldn't ever release it..."

_When I first released my full power, I felt incredibly dizzy... To the point where I no longer recognized who was getting hit... And who was getting hurt... Saiki-kun..._

"I never told anyone how destructive it was when left alone... My twilight energy always kept it in check..." she whispered, covering her face with her hands.

"Oh... Saiki-kun... If you were here, I'd know what to do!"

_Rustle._

Yuki flinched, and her head immediately sprang up.

"Saiki-kun?!"

_Nothing_.

Yuki frowned. _Stupid... I was expecting Saiki-kun to show up right away... Before, he always did... Stupid, stupid, stupid! Saiki-kun could be dead right about now..!!_

Her heart skipped a beat and she froze.

"..._Dead_."

Yuki looked over and sighed heavily.

_Saiki-kun... Are you protecting Akari-chan?_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"You do realize you have little chance of winning, right Sayoko?"

"A chance is still a chance, Gaul!" Kurumi shot back. "There's always a one in a million chance of becoming world famous, but I've gotten that far, haven't I?"

She turned to Nick. "Nick-kun... Honestly, what I want is to just see Yuki-chan and Saiki-kun... But first we'll have to take care of this guy..."

Her eyelids lowered. "You still want to see Momo-chan, don't you?"

Nick looked confused, but smiled and nodded.

The gray witch smiled brightly, and faced Gaul.

"As Yuki-chan always says... I won't give up!!"

**("Mugen" by TERRA plays)**

Gaul laughed as he charged, causing the two to quickly leap out of the way.

"The situation's hopeless... foolish kids."

"We'll see about that!!" Kurumi challenged.

"_The hidden energy deep within my heart, take this!! Ojamajo Moonlight Pulse!!"_

Gaul simply waved off the attack as if it were nothing. "Come on, you really think that would work, Sayoko?"

Sayoko bit her lip and quickly turned to Nick.

"Nick-kun..."

Nick grinned and held out his hand. "Kurumi-chan..."

Kurumi smiled, placing her hand in his. "Let's do this."

"_The spirits of the moonlit night..."_ Kurumi chanted.

"_The spirits of the morning mist..." _Nick continued.

"_Together, the power of twilight will see what no one else is able to see!!"_

Nick and Kurumi were surrounded by a twilight energy aura.

"_Double Ojamajo Moonlight Blossom!!"_

Gaul fell back, obviously injured by the blow.

"Now!!" Kurumi exclaimed. Nick quickly nodded.

"_The hidden energy deep within my heart, take this!! Ojamajo Moonlight Pulse!!"_

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this!! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!!"_

Gaul bellowed in agony, eventually losing his balance. Confused, Kurumi walked up.

"Hey... Are you alright...?"

Just then, Gaul swept up and grabbed Kurumi by the neck, holding her high in the air, dangling as she tried to pry his massive hand off of her.

"Kurumi-chan!!" Nick exclaimed.

"Not so fast, kid. If you get any closer this girl's life will forfeit," Gaul threatened. "Besides... I could always extract the element from that other elemental... But it would be a huge loss..."

Nick tensed up. _He seriously isn't joking..._

"N-Nick..." Kurumi's voice wavered, wincing.

Dismayed, Nick backed up, clenching his fists. Gaul smirked.

"Excellent. Now Sayoko, you're coming..."

"_The waves of my own feelings, take this!! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!!"_

Surprised, Gaul lost his grip on Kurumi, allowing her to rush over to Nick. Growling, he turned around and looked shocked.

"YOU?!"

Nick and Kurumi gasped to see Yuki standing there, hands clenched in fists.

"I don't get it... Shinoya, you shouldn't even be able to stand much less unleash an attack!! Maybe I didn't extract the full element from you..." Yuki huffed, waving away Gaul's presumptions.

Gaul's eyes then widened, taking in the vicious look in Shinoya's eyes, as well as the fierce dark aura surrounding her.

"Of course... The shadow element."

"Shadow?" Kurumi repeated, genuinely confused. "Yuki-chan?"

Yuki growled and charged.

"_Shadow Claw!!"_

Knocking down Gaul, Yuki raised her fist, which began glowing a menacingly dark aura again and growled.

"_Tell_ me, you oversized ape. What have you done to Saiki-kun?!"

Gaul huffed. "As if I would tell you..." he responded, only to get a punch in the face.

"I'll repeat: WHERE IS HE?!"

Gaul growled, wiping blood from his face. "I have no use for him until the Eternal Night... He's not dead, yet... And I haven't done _anything_."

Yuki huffed again, and a twilight sword formed in her hands.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill you now?"

"Yuki-chan!!" Kurumi called out. "That's enough!"

The black witch bit her lip and removed herself. "Nick-kun... Kurumi-chan... Please tell me... Is Saiki-kun alright?"

"Well, Gaul over there said he sent them in the future." Nick explained, pointing.

Yuki sighed heavily, but winced.

"How far?"

Gaul laughed. "To where they wouldn't be a problem." He repeated. "That's how far."

The black witch growled, tightening her fists.

"Kurumi-chan..." she started, her voice shaking.

"I... I'm sorry."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Hmph. Your pathetic emotions are useless to me," Gaul taunted. "I have come very far in my quest to revive the Dark Master, and brats like you aren't going to stop me."

"You're going to PAY for taking Saiki-kun away from me!!" Yuki exclaimed, joining hands with Nick.

"_To the beings of hope..."_ Yuki chanted.

"_To the beings of spirit..."_ Nick continued.

"_Together with the ones that reside between light and dark, gather into our own hands and dispel the evil with our purity!!"_ both Nick and Yuki chanted, letting their arms rest around each other while drawing their free hands back.

"_Double Ojamajo Twilight Whirlwind!!"_

The massive whirlwind attack knocked Gaul back a couple yards, his feet creating trenches where he'd been struck.

"KEEP AT IT!!" Yuki exclaimed.

"_The hidden energy deep within my heart, take this!! Ojamajo Moonlight Pulse!!"_

"_The waves of my own feelings, take this!! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!!"_

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this!! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!!"_

The three combined attacks knocked Gaul to the ground, shattering his staff in the process.

"Not so high and mighty now, are you, ape boy?" Yuki exclaimed. "NOW WHERE'S MY SAIKI-KUN?!"

Gaul ignored Yuki and stood to his feet, retrieving his swords. "Your time is over, elementals!!"

Gaul leapt into the air, slamming his swords into the ground just inches from the three apprentices. This strike caused the floor around them to crumble to pieces, causing all four to fall to the lower level, which looked much more psychedelic than the top level did.

"This must be the inner chamber of the Well of Souls," Kurumi wondered as she and Yuki landed gracefully on the ground.

"Wait a minute. Where's Nick-kun?!" Yuki exclaimed fearfully.

Gaul just growled as he noticed that Nick had been thrown into the purple beam of light coming from the center of the room where Gaul had stored the elements he'd collected.

_This is bad..._ Gaul thought. _The little whelpling now has command of all of the elements I've collected!!_

As if to add insult to injury, the Celestial Moons finally made their alignment, causing the purple beam to pulse rapidly for a few seconds.

"What?" Gaul exclaimed as Nick came out of the beam of light... though he was radically different. His skin was now deathly pale, and an immense dark aura was radiating from him. His clothes had turned completely black, and his eyes now shined with an evil-looking light.

"I'm not scared of you, brat!!" Gaul exclaimed, stepping to his feet once more. "Have at you!!"

Nick simply nodded.

Yuki had clung to Kurumi's arm the instant she'd seen Nick come out of the beam like that.

"Kurumi-chan... that can't be Nick-kun..." Yuki asked. "What happened to him? That dark aura is stronger than my full power!!"

"Could it be the Dark Master's influence?" Kurumi wondered. "That beam probably leads to where the Dark Master was imprisoned..."

Nick shifted into battle stance as Gaul teleported over to his location, swiping furiously at him. Nick deftly blocked each strike, barely even lifting a finger as he did. Nick quickly reacted with a powerful pulse attack that knocked Gaul about halfway across the arena.

"Arrogant little brat," Gaul reprimanded. "We'll see how arrogant you are after THIS!!"

With that, Gaul concentrated and fired a green laser beam from his eyes that Nick easily dodged, retaliating with a powerful burst of dark magic.

"The power of Convexity," Gaul noted of Nick's new dark abilities. "Such a rare treat to see this ability. This power would be GREAT for reviving the Dark Master!!"

Nick simply gave Gaul a menacing look that clearly stated 'I dare you to try me'.

Gaul responded to this unseen taunt by holding his hands into the air and producing a meteor storm that struck the arena rapidly and mercilessly. Nick easily dodged the meteors that were being thrown at him, while Kurumi put up a shield to protect herself and Yuki from the fiery rocks.

"Kurumi-chan... do you know what Convexity is?" Yuki asked.

"Saiki-kun once told me that it's a very special form of dark magic, only seen in one person every thousand years," Kurumi answered. "It's very powerful, and as such is highly destructive. The Dark Master's element must be Convexity, which might explain why Nick-kun has that power now.

"You're really beginning to piss me off, boy," Gaul stated as Nick formed an energy sword out of the dark aura surrounding him.

Gaul charged forward, and the resulting attacks met with a loud clang. Nick somersaulted over Gaul's head and thrust the energy sword straight through Gaul's chest, creating massive cracks in his armor and causing the Ape King to drop to his knees, severely weakened by the surprise attack.

Nick backed off, a content smirk on his face.

"What are you waiting for, brat? Finish me!!" Gaul demanded.

Nick just stood there.

Gaul laughed evilly. "Coward!!"

This seemed to be enough to bait Nick into attacking, as he thrust his hands towards Gaul, creating a gust of Convexity energy that further weakened the Ape King.

Nick continued the attack by creating energy blades that slashed at Gaul relentlessly, causing further damage.

Finishing it all up, Nick rose into the air as a bell tolled somewhere in the distance. His pupil-less eyes shining, Nick unleashed three purple energy ripples. The first one weakened Gaul even further, the second turned him into stone, and the last ripple shattered the remains. The Ape King was finally no more.

"WHOA!!" Yuki exclaimed. "He obliterated him!!"

Content with his victory, Nick suddenly turned on Yuki and Kurumi, an evil glint in his eyes.

"What the...?" was all the Yuki had the time to say before Nick came charging for her.

"Nick-kun!! Why are you attacking me? Don't you remember? It's me, Shinoya Yuki-chan!!" Yuki exclaimed, swiftly blocking each strike Nick sent her way.

"It's gotta be that Convexity magic!!" Kurumi explained. "It's blurring his judgment so he can't tell who's friend or foe!!"

"Then, how are we supposed to snap him out of it?!" Yuki exclaimed, still blocking Nick's attacks.

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"I... I don't know," was all that Kurumi replied. "I just don't know..."

Yuki groaned and jumped back, focusing her attention on Nick.

"Nick-kun... It's me, Yuki!" she repeated, placing her hands on her heart. "Remember? We teamed up against Majoaku... And we were together for the Battle Frontier! Don't you remember, Nick-kun?"

He seemed to hesitate for just a fraction of a second before slashing through the black witch's body, earning a painful yelp as she fell back on her bottom, blood trickling down both arms.

"Yuki-chan!!" Kurumi exclaimed before snapping up. "Yuki-chan are you alright?"

Yuki winced. "I've been through better, I've been through worse... Though this must of been the first time _Nick-kun_'s ever attacked me..."

Kurumi's eyes widened and she turned back to Nick.

"Didn't you say you would protect me...? Promises don't fade away as easily as memories right? Isn't that something you said before?"

Nick stopped, as if letting her words sink in.

The gray witch noticed, blushed, and continued. "Y-You were really nice too, you know... Nick-kun. I think because you were there... Because I had someone worth fighting for... That was why I was able to become so strong! It's really amazing... This feeling of undying courage..."

Yuki perked up, staring at Kurumi in awe. "Kurumi-chan..."

"S-So... please, Nick-kun. I know you're in there..." she murmured, eyes shimmering like the moon. "Please wake up."

Nick then brushed her off, striking her down, and approached her slowly, as if to finish her off.

Kurumi stared up at him, shaking out of fear. She caught his hand rise up and clench into a fist, and she closed her eyes tightly, just waiting for an impact. _It looks like I couldn't reach him..._

"_The waves of my own feelings, take this!! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!!"_

Nick staggered back and quickly turned to Yuki, who stood there, her hands held out. He growled, as if to say 'you'll regret that'.

"I won't let you harm Kurumi-chan..." she stated simply, though her hands were trembling. "Even if you're Nick-kun... I won't let you."

Nick glared at her and charged, sweeping her up high by the neck, squeezing her throat with an uncanny strength.

Yuki gasped and gripped his hand, tears stinging her eyes as her lungs cried for air.

"Ni... Nick-kun! Put... me... down!!" she choked out, trying desperately to pry off his grip. "Snap out of it!!"

Her answer only being him tightening his grip, she whimpered in silence, quietly bringing up her hand. Her hand shook for a second before she brought it down with her remaining strength.

_SLAP!!_

Out of surprise, he released her. Yuki crawled back, shivering.

Nick felt where she hit him, his cheek beginning to redden before he looked back at Yuki...

_**Ta-thump.**_

His eyes widened at the sight of the black witch trembling as she looked down, taking in deep breaths.

_**Ta-thump.**_

Yuki looked up, whimpering, a look of pure terror in her eyes. Nick simply stared back in confusion, silent.

"Ni... Nick-kun?"

"_Nick-kun... It's me, Yuki... Shinoya Yuki-chan... Nick-kun?"_

The boy blinked, those words repeating in his head.

"_Snap out of it Nick-kun, please... Please..."_

"Yu... Yu... Yuki-chan?" he whispered, calming down a bit. "Yuki-chan..."

Yuki blinked in surprise, her childsh eyes wide in confusion. "Nick-kun...?"

He quickly shook his head and swung his fist, causing her to quickly duck.

"Aah!"

"Nick-kun, leave her alone!!" Kurumi shouted, getting up and rushing in between the two. "S-Stop this madness right now! Do you have any idea how hurt Yuki-chan is?! She's practically half-dead!"

Nick stopped again, staring straight into Kurumi's dark brown eyes, shining with determination and concern.

"I won't hold back... I certainly won't let you harm Yuki-chan!!"

Suddenly, she felt Nick's fist come into contact with the side of her face. Hard. Falling back from the force of the blow, Kurumi brought up her trembling hand to her face, wiping off the blood that trickled from her lips.

Yuki's eyes widened. _Kurumi-chan..._

The gray witch turned to Nick, stammering. "Y-You've gotten quite powerful... haven't you, Nick-kun? In fact, if you weren't about to kill us... I would be really happy..."

Nick stopped. "You..."

"Watashi no Kurumi." she answered in a soft voice. "We were friends... Used to be anyway... I just wish... I said one last thing to Saiki-kun... And Yuki-chan... I always was a teensy bit envious. Also, Nick-kun! D-Don't get me wrong... I know you can still hear me... You said Yuki-chan's name earlier, right?!"

The boy hesitated, as if trying to recall. "Ku... Kurumi-chan..."

Kurumi smiled. "Good to see you remember. See, the truth is, Nick-kun... I think I may... Just a little..."

Nick quickly raised his fist to strike her again, making her gasp... only to feel two skinny arms encircle his waist and hold him back with the little strength they had.

Still, he felt weak in its grip.

"N-Nick-kun... Please don't..." Yuki's soft, trembled voice whispered, her body pressed against him, feeling surprisingly cold.

"Yuki-chan..." Kurumi started before looking up at Nick again and turning away. "Nick-kun... I... I have a crush on you."

Nick's eyes widened and he quickly snapped out of Yuki's grip.

He stared at Kurumi in disbelief before turning to Yuki. Yuki looked up, her brown eyes blank as she layed back down.

"..._Saiki-kun_..."

Nick immediately froze. "S...Saiki...?"

"_You remind me of my dear Saiki-kun."_

"_Well... Saiki-kun and I have been together for over five years now, but it's only recently that I was able to admit my feelings for him..."_

"_You're not Saiki-kun... And even if you were, you'd probably understand how I'd feel..."_

"_Saiki-kun's the only one who has any right to be near me!"_

"_All for Saiki-kun's sake..."_

"You remember Saiki-kun right?" Kurumi asked, giggling despite herself. "You and him actually got along quite well..."

She then perked up. "T-That's right!! Nick-kun has someone special too! Remember Nick-kun... You know... _Momo-chan_?"

Silence.

Kurumi frowned, getting up.

"That's a no, isn't it? Oh, Nick-kun..."

Making up her mind, she quickly used the remainder of her energy to drape her arms around him, ultimately surprising him.

"Please... Nick-kun..." she begged, burying her face beside his neck. "Please, snap out of it..."

"Ku... Kurumi-chan..."

Yuki seemed to perk up at that and shook, trying to muster up her strength.

"N-Nick-kun... Ah... Remember?"

Nick's eyes widened.

"_My name... is Yuki Shinoya."_

"_You're a fan right? Sayoko Kurumi is the name."_

"_That's for being such an incredible friend to me... and you didn't need to be."_

"_Let's just do our best, okay?"_

"Yuki-chan... Kurumi-chan..."

Sighing heavily, Kurumi pulled back, placing a hand on his cheek. "Nick-kun..."

Taking no chances, the gray witch leaned forward, connecting her lips with his, pressing as firmly as she could.

_Please... Please snap out of it, Nick!_

She felt him tremble before no response at all. Separating herself, he fell into her arms, unconscious. Kurumi fell to her knees, letting out her choked breath.

_Man... He's heavy!_

Placing him down ever so gently, Kurumi lightly gasped when she saw Nick revert to his old self and smiled, tears brimming in her eyes.

"_Thank goodness_..."

Quickly shaking her head, she wiped her eyes and approached Yuki, who still seemed to be struggling to get back up on her feet.

"Yuki-chan... Here, let me lend you my strength."

"Ah, thanks Kurumi-chan," she replied, taking Kurumi's hand. Feeling only a teensy bit of strength, she got up, the two of them still a bit clumsy from all that had happened.

Yuki shakily got close to Nick, her hand trembling as she reached out and lightly shook his shoulder. "Nick-kun... Are you alright?" she asked, still afraid of the possibility of being struck down as soon as he woke up.

Kurumi staggered close, leaning in to his face again.

"N-Nick...?"

"_Urgh_..."

Nick's eyes opened, his vision focusing on Kurumi's worried gaze.

"K-Kurumi-chan...?"

Kurumi felt herself relax when her eyes met his.

_His eyes... They're normal..._

"Kurumi-chan... What happened? Wait, where's Gaul?!" Snapping up, Nick looked around, really confused. "Where'd he go?"

"That's an easy one, Nick-kun!" Yuki exclaimed, nearly out of breath. "Gaul knocked you out, and so Kurumi-chan and I took care of him, rather handily too!"

Nick seemed to relax, and Kurumi smiled, glad Yuki didn't tell him what really happened.

"I see... How long was I out of it?"

"Long enough to have us worry. Now, we just gotta find Saiki-kun and the others..."

Kurumi nodded and faced Nick who's eyes widened with shock. The gray witch's expression turned to confused. "Nick-kun...?"

"K-Kurumi-chan... Your face..."

"Oh," Kurumi uttered, bringing a hand to brush against the side of her face, hissing in pain. Yuki perked up and looked at Kurumi, her eyes widening at the nasty blistering wound of her look alike's cheek, with blood still trickling down it.

"D-Did Gaul...?" Nick turned his attention to Yuki and his breath almost got stuck in his throat, seeing the serious looking set of ugly bruises that were marring her pale neck.

"Yuki-chan..."

Yuki flinched and got up, only to lose her balance, looking down with a regretful look in her eyes. Nick suddenly winced himself, feeling his reddened cheek.

"Why do I feel like I was slapped in the face?"

The black witch gulped. "That's because... Not too long ago, I slapped you."

"And... why did you do that?"

Kurumi and Yuki looked at each other and groaned, realizing that they had to tell the truth.

"Because you tried to kill her," Kurumi answered, sighing.

Nick blinked, looking surprised and confused. "Why... Why would I do that?"

"Nick-kun... I lied when I said Kurumi-chan and I were the ones who took care of Gaul..." Yuki murmured, clenching her fists.

"All I remember last is being thrown into that beam of light..." he mumbled, holding his head. "What happened after that?"

Kurumi and Yuki both bit their lips, hesitating for a few minutes.

"You... absorbed quite a lot of power... And you literally destroyed Gaul." Kurumi whispered. Nick seemed a little surprised, but Yuki continued.

"But... Nick-kun... All that power messed up your sense of reason... And you attacked us."

Nick let this all sink in, and he let his eyes wander across the two girls' bodies.

The bleeding cuts on Yuki's arms, her neck... Kurumi's face... The bruises littered all over their bodies...

_I... I did all that to them?_

Covering his face, he shook his head, still paralyzed with the information.

"Kurumi-chan... Yuki-chan... I... I'm so sorry..."

Kurumi smiled, closing one eye. "Nah, we already forgive you. It wasn't your fault, it..."

"Yes it was!!" he nearly shouted. "If I only had a bit more self-control... You two... You two wouldn't look like you just went through both World Wars!"

"Ah Nick-kun... I've done things I wasn't too proud of when my dark magic went out of control..." Yuki sighed, covering the wounds on her neck. "Of course... Saiki-kun..."

"Saiki-kun will kill me if he gets the chance," Nick mumbled, sighing. "Once he sees your neck..."

The black witch blushed lightly at the mention of her boyfriend's name but quickly shook it off. "D-Don't worry... He may scold you... But, oh... Let's just put this whole thing behind us."

Kurumi nodded in agreement. Even if that meant redoing that confession, she really wanted to forget the nightmare she and Yuki went through just moments before.

Nick shook his head, still feeling incredibly regretful and guilty for what happened and got up, looking at the two girls a bit nervously.

"A-Are you two...?"

"I would of liked to rest longer but..." Kurumi helped Yuki up, and they both smiled.

"For Saiki-kun's sake... I can ignore it," Yuki stated, hoping she came off as ignoring her tiredness rather than the weakness in her legs from taking so many of Nick's hits.

"A-Alright..."

"Nick-kun...?"

"Y-Yes Kurumi-chan?" Nick replied, still a bit uneasily.

He turned surprised when Kurumi leaned over and pecked his cheek.

"I'm really glad you're back to normal."

Nick blushed and turned back around.

"D-Don't mention it..." he responded, remembering all the bruises the two black-haired girls had.

_I can't believe... I did all that to those two... And... didn't I..._

_Didn't I promise to protect Kurumi-chan...?_

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Nick looked up into the sky; the Celestial Moons had just came out of their alignment, and the purple beam he had fallen into before was now gone.

_That's a good thing. At least we hopefully won't have to worry about the Dark Master anymore,_ Nick thought. _I still can't believe I almost killed them... Saiki-kun's definitely going to kill me if he finds out what I did... and speaking of which, I think there's something I have to do first before we go ahead to look for the others. I REALLY screwed up back there, especially after I made a promise to Kurumi-chan that I'd protect her. I feel like a first-class jerk for what I did..._

His mind made up, he walked over to Kurumi, who was sitting on a nearby rock, pondering something.

"Hey."

Kurumi looked up and noticed Nick standing there. "Hey, Nick-kun."

"Listen, Kurumi-chan... I'm really sorry about what I did. If only I hadn't fallen into that light... I probably wouldn't have been possessed. And right after I made that promise to you... I feel like a total jerk..."

Kurumi was surprised by what Nick was saying. "Don't worry about that, Nick-kun... we already forgave you for that..."

"DON'T YOU GET IT, KURUMI-CHAN?!" Nick exclaimed, causing both Yuki and Kurumi to tense up.

"The two of you know that it isn't in me to go back on my promises!! And yet I did just that when I fell into that light!! Don't you understand?! I broke my promise... and I almost killed you two... Not to mention what Saiki-kun's going to do to me if he finds out what I did... I... I feel like I betrayed you two... It's just not fair..."

Kurumi walked up to Nick, a glimmer in her eyes.

_Go ahead..._ Nick thought. _Go ahead and slap me. I deserve it for what I did..._

After a few seconds, Nick felt a hand on his cheek, as expected, but what he didn't expect was for that hand to softly caress his cheek. When he opened his eyes, Kurumi had already pressed her lips to his, surprising him.

When Kurumi pulled back, she was blushing like mad. "Don't EVER belittle yourself like that, Nick-kun. I already told you that we forgive you for that. As for Saiki-kun, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Listen to me, Nick-kun, we'll always be friends no matter what happens. Don't you EVER forget that, okay, Nick-kun?"

Nick looked a little surprised. "So... you two don't even mind that I just tried to kill you?"

"What did we say, Nick-kun?" Yuki answered. "We'll always be friends, no matter what. That's a promise. Isn't that what you like to say?"

Nick looked back and forth between the black and gray witch apprentices. They really trusted him...

"Oh, Yuki-chan? I have a present for you," Nick stated, holding up the aquatic blue ball of light that Gaul had extracted from Yuki, the light that represented Yuki's twilight energy. "Something that belongs to you."

Yuki gasped happily as she took the energy and floated into the air a bit, feeling an amazing rush of power as her twilight magic returned to her.

"Thanks, Nick-kun."

"No problem, Yuki-chan. Now let's do a bit of time traveling. We've got some friends to save."

Yuki and Kurumi nodded, standing close to Nick. All three of them raised their wands.

"_Asobu soba de tokuyakani!!"_

"_Pikanpi pikapi chachakani!!"_

"_Puripuni pikipika yumekani!!"_

"_MAGICAL STAGE!! Take us to the future to save our friends!!"_

With that call, all three disappeared in a flash of light just as the Mountain of Malefor crumbled. However, in the pitch blackness, we can see a pair of blood-red eyes opening...

_In the future..._

"LOOK OUT, DOREMI-CHAN!!" Akari exclaimed as Gaul attacked with an horizontal swing. The pink witch apprentice quickly somersaulted into an evasive roll just in time for the blade to go flying over her head.

"WHOA!! That was close. I don't need to explain an unnecessary haircut to _okaa-sama_ now, do I?" Doremi asked nobody in particular.

Some of the little snow that was falling had all concentrated around Hinata, who was focusing her elemental power towards Gaul.

"All right, ape boy, it's time I ended this!!" Hinata exclaimed, using the snow around her to form what appeared to be a sword.

Just then, Gaul froze in his spot, unable to move. The Ojamajos watched in surprise as Gaul evaporated into tiny particles of dark light that eventually dissipated.

"WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED?!" Aiko exclaimed. "He better not have chickened out on us again!!"

"I don't think he disappeared, Aiko-chan," Saiki noted. "He's gone. Something must have happened in the past..."

"That means that Nick and Yuki-chan must have defeated Gaul!!" Momoko exclaimed.

"Of COURSE they did, Momo-chan. I never doubted them for a second," Moriko noted.

"Did you, now?"

This caused everyone present to turn around as Nick, Yuki, and Kurumi appeared in a flash of light.

"Took you guys long enough!!" Aiko exclaimed.

Saiki then noticed how injured Yuki and Kurumi were. "What happened, Yuki-chan?! You look like you went through a blender!!"

"Blame Gaul for that," Nick interjected, hoping to avoid a conflict. "He got in some pretty cheap shots."

However, Saiki noticed the scent of the blood still left on Nick's arm.

"Wait a minute!! That's Yuki-chan's blood on your arm, isn't it?!" Saiki exclaimed. Nick looked down, and noticed that there was a little bit of blood still on his arm.

_Crap. I forgot to use the soten kisshun before we came here!!_

"You tried to kill Yuki-chan, didn't you?!" Saiki exclaimed, unleashing a shockwave.

"SAIKI-KUN, STOP!!" Momoko and Yuki exclaimed, but to no avail; Saiki was already enraged.

Nick quickly swung his wand and deflected the shockwave. "It's a misunderstanding, Saiki-kun! If you'd just listen..."

But Saiki, as Yuki could easily see, was done listening.

Before Nick could even react, Saiki had punched the green witch apprentice in the face, sending him crashing to the ground. Momoko was strongly resisting the urge to kick Saiki where it hurt.

"NICK-KUN!!" Yuki exclaimed, rushing to Nick's aid.

"Oh, NOW you're asking for it, buddy," Nick stated, getting to his feet and drawing his wand once more.

"_Let the demon's luster shine brightly!! Hanyou Hikari!!"_

"I'm not going to forgive you for what you did to Yuki-chan," Saiki stated, viciousness coming from his very voice.

"I told you already, I didn't do ANYTHING to her, but if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you're gonna get!!" Nick shot back as he and Saiki charged for each other.

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"STOP!!"

Both boys froze and Yuki rushed in between, facing Nick with her arms spread out.

"N-Nick-kun..." she stammered, blushing heavily. "Despite what Saiki-kun did, I still can't let you hurt him! If ANYONE can belt him, that'll be me, alright?"

Nick opened his mouth to protest, but Saiki already beat him to the point.

"Yuki-chan, get out of the way!" he ordered, using a firm authority he hadn't even known existed till then. "There's no way I'll let this bastard off the hook..."

"Who are you?" she asked cutting him off, looking beyond serious.

"Yuki-chan... What are you..."

"Who _are_ you?" she repeated, hissing with anger. "What just happened huh? What happened to my kind, gentle Saiki-kun? I don't CARE the reason... If you think it's okay to hit my friends... Then... Then..."

Her voice got quiet.

"Then I no longer recognize you."

"Y-Yuki-chan..." Saiki stated, a little surprised. "You... You don't understand anything do you? All I want is your happiness and your safety... You really expect me to stand idly by while someone... _anyone_ hurts you?! _I can't do that_!!"

"It's not his fault!!" Yuki shot back, tears forming at her eyes. "H-He... He was under dark influence... He didn't know what he was doing... He..."

"That's no excuse," her supposed boyfriend responded, rather coldly. "I don't care who he is, he has to take responsibility."

Nick flinched and looked down feeling guilty all over again. "You're right, Saiki-kun..."

Saiki looked a little confused but brushed it off.

"Yuki-chan... I..."

Yuki's eyes glittered and she shook her head. "S-Saiki-kun... Didn't I harm you while under the dark influence...? How do you think I felt afterwards?"

Saiki's eyes widened, and he stammered a bit. "That... Um..."

"I. Felt. HORRIBLE," she answered through gritted teeth. "I felt stupid... weak... I regretted what I did with every bit of my heart, Saiki-kun... Saiki-kun... I felt so bad that I just wanted to disappeared... Heck, I even thought over leaving you for good because I was sure you would of been so much better off..."

Saiki opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Yuki noticed, and sighed heavily.

"Saiki-kun, go ahead. Tell Nick-kun what you did after what happened. Go on. You got angry at me... You scolded me for my idiocy and you..."

"That's not true!! I never did any of those things!!" he interrupted, blushing. "Because... It wasn't your fault, Yuki-chan... So... So..."

"What did you do?" his girlfriend asked. "Come on Saiki-kun, tell Nick-kun what you did... He won't hold it against you..."

Silence.

"I... forgave you," Saiki finally answered, realizing his mistake. "I forgave you, Yuki-chan... I... Oh..." He looked down, unable to meet his girlfriend's gaze.

"I'm... I'm so sorry Nick-kun," Shaking his head, he sighed deeply. "I was just so angry that I didn't protect Yuki-chan... It wasn't like me."

Nick blinked and fell back, sighing as well. "Don't worry... I can't exactly say I wouldn't of reacted in the same way..."

Yuki then blushed. "Saiki-kun... To be honest... If Nick-kun had harmed you the way he harmed me... I probably would of just killed him then and there... No matter what you said... Oh, Saiki-kun..."

Taking no time, she rushed into her boyfriend's arms, throwing her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, surprising him a bit.

"Y-Yuki-chan..."

Yuki whimpered, her heart still pounding from the heated lovers' quarrel the two of them just had. "S-Saiki-kun... I... I love you so much... Saiki-kun, I only thought about you while facing Gaul... Seeing you again, that's all that mattered to me. Even while Nick-kun, I..."

Saiki blushed deeply and returned the embrace. "Yuki-chan..." he whispered before his finger accidentally brushed against her neck, making her flinch, hissing in pain.

Saiki's eyes widened, looking down at the serious bruises on his girlfriend's throat. He looked at Nick, who quickly avoided his gaze, and looked back at Yuki.

"D-Did he...?"

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, clutching on his shirt. "Really, Saiki-kun, I am..."

"You aren't the one who needs to apologize," both he and Nick replied at the same time, surprising them.

The two boys glanced at each other for a split second before Saiki blushed and turned his gaze back to Yuki, his eyelids lowered.

"Yuki-chan..."

Yuki looked up, and his fingers lingered on her lips, earning a light gasp.

_S-Saiki-kun..._

Saiki sighed heavily, feeling how chapped her mouth was.

"Yuki-chan..."

The black witch blushed deeply, her glance going down. The wizard then just released her, patting her head.

"So... What now?"

Akari blushed and looked down as well.

"I-I think we..."

"Something's not right here." Akari flinched as Moriko walked up, looking around.

"We destroyed Gaul... We stopped the Eternal Night... But it just feels like nothing changed... Besides the tension between twidledee and twidledum over there." Sighing heavily, she looked at Kurumi and Yuki, shivering at the sight of their injuries.

"But... Good GOD Nick-kun... Did you HAVE to go crazy on them...? All of a sudden, I can understand why Saiki-kun punched you like that... Even if it's not like him... If you had done _anything_ like that to my Akemi-chan I..."

"Moriko-chan, that's enough!!" Momoko exclaimed, walking forward. "Yuki-chan said it wasn't his fault!!"

"Ah..." Moriko sighed, looking at Nick, who still seemed to be in guilt about the whole thing.

She smiled. "I've gone and punched people without thinking about it to protect Akemi-chan you know... All I got was her panicking and a whole bunch of trouble..."

Akemi simply blushed and sighed.

"Nick-kun... You must not let anything like that bring you down..."

"You weren't the one who caused those bruises, Akemi-chan," he stated, sighing heavily.

"Now that's quite enough!!" Kurumi exclaimed, clenching her fists. "Didn't Yuki-chan and I say we already forgave you for all that? Now stop with this stupid guilt trip and just move ON!! Heck, it's not like you WANTED to hurt us, right?!"

"Of course not, Kurumi-chan!! But..."

"But nothing!!" the gray witch shot back, anger evident on her face. "Yuki-chan, you forgive him, right?!"

Yuki perked up and nodded. "Nick-kun, you never stopped believing in me... So why should I stop believing in you?"

Nick looked surprised at this and Kurumi continued.

"And Momo-chan!! Surely you understand Nick-kun..."

Momoko smiled brightly. "I've been under dark influence too... I couldn't possibly hold anything against Nick..."

"Me neither!!" Ichiyou added, matter-of-factly.

"Momoko... Leaf..." he started, looking speechless.

"Everyone else...?" Kurumi asked, expectantly.

Doremi smiled. "If Kellysi-chan truly didn't mean it... Well, that's all there is to it."

"Everyone makes mistakes," Aiko stated, huffing. Onpu giggled.

"We all have."

Hinata and Akari immediately nodded. "Right!! Isn't making mistakes one of the many things that makes us human?" Hinata asked, grinning.

Yumi winked. "Exactly said."

Kurumi grinned and nodded herself before turning to Saiki.

"Saiki-kun...?"

Yuki looked up at her boyfriend's confused look with wide brown eyes.

"Saiki-kun..."

Saiki looked at Nick who quickly flinched and flustered. He quickly smiled.

"Yeah... Sorry about that Nick-kun."

Yuki's eyes sparkled as she gasped with happiness, tackling her boyfriend in a tight embrace.

"Thank goodness!! I... Saiki-kun..." Unable to come up with words, she placed her hand on his cheek, gently caressing him before leaning forward and connecting her lips with his.

Kurumi simply smiled when Yuki separated, taking Saiki's hands with more 'thank goodness' and more 'I'm so glad' and turned to Nick, who seemed a bit blown away.

"See?" she asked, grinning quite smugly. "You have friends here, Nick-kun. One little mistake doesn't change a thing. Your penance was getting a taste of Saiki-kun's temper... Man, oh man!"

To Nick's surprise, she began laughing.

"I... I never would of put it past Saiki-kun as 'short-tempered'! Even when Majoaku said some harsh things about him, he kept his opinions to himself... And when he saw Yuki-chan's injuries... Well... That..."

Her laughter ceased, and she sighed.

"That just reminded me about how much he loved her... Aw... After all that, I still feel a little jealous! Stupid, stupid, stupid..."

Nick chuckled himself as he formed a slight grin. "Kurumi-chan... Thank you."

"Hm? Oh..." Kurumi winked. "No problem... Anyway..."

"ANYWAY... we need to head back and treat you two's injuries!" Akari exclaimed, obiviously still upset. "Nick-kun, looking at the two of them... I think it would be just better if we all just rested and put this whole thing behind us..."

Nick sighed. "I couldn't agree more, Akari-chan."

Akari smiled. "Good."

Saiki smiled a bit himself before stroking the bruises on his girlfriend's neck, making her gasp. "Akari-chan's right..."

Yuki winced, feeling both extremely pained and extremely delighted from his touch. "Y-Yeah..."

"So..." Moriko started, walking up again and winking.

"Let's get going."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Yeah... I really miss home sweet home right about now..." Haruka noted.

Just then, Momoko noticed that Nick was looking dizzy again.

Before she could ask, Nick dropped to the ground, out like a light.

"NICK!!" Momoko exclaimed, rushing to her boyfriend's aid.

"Nick-kun?" Akemi wondered.

"Oh, not again!!" Moriko exclaimed. "Can't that kid ever stop falling asleep?!"

"He's starting to worry me," Akemi stated. "The constant fainting..."

"I wonder if these dizzy spells of his have something to do with the Chronicler that he mentioned before..." Saiki wondered.

"Let's hope, for Nick's sake, that you're right, Saiki-kun," Momoko responded.

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_Nick looked around; he was back in the same temple-like structure he'd found himself in the last time he'd conked out._

"_Okay, back here again," Nick noted. "Still no points for interior decorating, but it definitely looks like it's gotten bigger."_

_Taking a look around, Nick noticed that everything seemed to have color this time, instead of being just plain white. This time around, the white areas of the Temple of Dreams was glowing a light blue._

"_All right, Chronicler, what do you want from me now?" Nick asked nobody in particular, cutting straight to the business at hand._

'_There is still more to be done, my impatient warrior.'_

"_How can that be?" Nick wondered. "I obliterated Gaul and stopped the Eternal Night from even happening! What else is there?"_

'_You did well in destroying Gaul and preventing the Eternal Night from shrouding our world in darkness. But, there is still more for you to face. The Dark Master, Malefor, lurks in the darkness, just waiting for his moment to strike.'_

"_But I thought he couldn't get out without the help of those elements that Gaul was hoarding?" Nick asked._

'_He absorbed enough of their energy before you were possessed by his influence. Though he has not chosen this moment to make his appearance, it means he may soon. This means that I must teach you the next element in your quest.'_

"_But I'm not an elemental like Hinata-chan and Akari-chan are!" Nick exclaimed. "What hope will I have of mastering the elements?"_

'_Hehehe. My young boy, you have more potential than you think you do. Remember the girl in silver clothes I told you about?'_

"_You mean Kurumi-chan?"_

'_Indeed. You and the Sayoko girl hold a latent power within yourselves that is begging to be released. Remember the name 'Elemental Angels', and good luck on your quest.'_

_With that, the Chronicler's voice disappeared, leaving Nick to face the tests that the Temple of Dreams had laid out for him._

_A rather ugly-looking creature came charging for Nick, but he reacted quickly by twirling into a spin attack..._

_...only to notice that this spin had been joined by a frost-blue aura that caused the creature to be frozen in a block of ice upon contact._

"_Whoa. So this is the power of ice, huh?" Nick wondered. "May as well make good use of it."_

_Nick continued up the path, noticing a large gap in front of him._

"_Just great. I still don't have my magic, so how the heck am I supposed to..."_

_Just then, an idea formed in Nick's head. Holding his hands out towards the gap, a gust of icy wind burst from Nick's hands, creating an ice bridge that connected the two cliffs. After a few seconds, Nick crossed the ice bridge, only to find more creatures waiting for him on the other side._

"_Okay, now I'm ticked off," Nick stated, preparing for battle._

_The creatures charged for Nick at about the same time, but Nick stood ready for them._

_Just as they were all about to dogpile on Nick, the green witch apprentice rose into the air, a frosty aura covering his body. All of the creatures seemed to hang in the air as this transpired. Not wasting a single second, Nick threw his arms out, and this created a massive snowstorm that covered the entire area, thus freezing all of the creatures into ice blocks that Nick quickly shattered with his martial arts._

"_Whoa. THAT was cool. No pun intended," Nick stated, continuing down the path._

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"NICK-KUN!! Anou sa... Wakey, wakey!!"

"Yuki-chan, I already tried that."

"He really seems out of it..."

"Can I please slap him? Maybe that'll wake him up!"

"MORIKO-CHAN!! He doesn't need to be reminded of what happened back in the Well of Souls!!"

"I was only trying to help..."

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_After making his way through the Temple of Dreams, Nick eventually reached the mural where he'd found himself before. Only this time, the mural showed a massive, towering black dragon laying waste to a city below._

"_Is that... the Dark Master?" Nick wondered._

"_Close," the Chronicler responded, stepping out from the shadows. "That is one of the Dark Master's pawns. She was once a young human girl, much similar to your friends, until she was captured and corrupted by the twisted mind of the Dark Master."_

_The Chronicler turned towards the mural. "Now, Cynder does the bidding of the beast, gathering elemental powers and other necessities to eventually perpetuate his release from the world of shadows."_

"_Well, I don't know if she'll be a problem," Nick wondered. "The Well of Souls and the Mountain of Malefor pretty much collapsed in on itself after I obliterated Gaul."_

"_You must not set the future in so quickly, young one. Even now, Cynder hovers in the skies, following the evil orders of her master. You must not underestimate her."_

"_But, if she used to be human, like me, isn't there some way we could change her back?" Nick asked._

"_The powers of what you would call a Purifier are very strong, but only an Elemental Angel could purify someone with as much darkness in their heart as Cynder's. Hers is a lonely path, and in dark times such as this, one can not take chances," the Chronicler answered._

"_So, there's something I feel I've gotta ask. Why are you teaching ME the powers of the elements? Wouldn't Akari-chan or Hinata-chan be more suited for this kind of work?" Nick asked._

_The Chronicler laughed softly. "It is as I said, young one. You hold a great innate power that is begging to be released. You must not fear it, young one. If you take hold of it, your great power will come bursting to the surface. You will be able to use this power to put a halt to the impending forces of the Dark Master and his pawns."_

_The Chronicler said no more, instead opting to disappear like he had been doing, leaving a glowing door in its place._

"_Elemental Angel..." Nick wondered as he walked into the door. "Just what is that?"_

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

Yuki groaned, sitting down, looking as bored as ever.

"Seriously... Why won't Nick-kun wake up? What's wrong with him anyway?" she wondered, sighing. "This is all so confusing..."

Kurumi frowned, sitting by her look alike. "Aw, why are you so surprised Yuki-chan? Something weird always come up whenever we decide to visit. We never get rest, even for a moment..."

Moriko huffed, folding her arms. "But does Nick-kun ALWAYS have to hog the spotlight? That's just a necessity, isn't it?"

"M-Moriko-chan..." Akemi started, blushing a bit. Her childhood friend perked up and rushed over to the crystal witch, taking her by the shoulders.

"You know what Akemi-chan? As long as we stick together, everything should be just fine..." the jade witch smiled pleasantly before patting the timid girl and the head.

"Cause you're my dear Akemi-chan! All we need is each other, right? Right?!"

"R-Right..."

"That's my girl!"

Kurumi simply sighed. "Those two... I wonder about them... Ne Yuki-chan?"

Yuki still looked bummed. "What really bothers me is that I'm not much of a help anymore Kurumi-chan! I get myself kidnapped and cause everyone to worry... And just what have I done that's useful? I can't even protect Akari-chan right!"

Akari blushed at hearing this.

_Oh, Yuki-chan..._

"Yuki-chan, everyone makes mistakes... Besides... You were the one to stop Nick-kun and Saiki-kun from ripping each other's throats out right?" Kurumi recalled, waving her finger.

The black witch apprentice blushed. "Well, how was I supposed to stand there?! Let Saiki-kun and Nick-kun fight! HAH, as if I'll let anybody harm a hair on Saiki-kun's head..."

Her look alike smiled. "And they both would of got hurt... How do you think I felt? Watching the two guys I like most fight each other..."

This seemed to grab Yuki's attention. "Like most...? You mean..."

"I told you before of my crush on Nick-kun... But Saiki-kun... I still have feelings for him. Feelings that won't fade away easily... Not at all. You don't mind, right Yuki-chan?"

"As long as you don't kiss him again, I'll be fine. I like Nick-kun a lot too you know. But still, my one and only love will always be Saiki-kun! We're even going to get married, too..!!" Kurumi laughed, making Yuki fluster.

"What's so funny?!"

"Isn't it ironic...? Nick-kun called your name first... And yet in your heart, he doesn't even seem to be nearly as important as Saiki-kun... While in mine, he's pretty up there. But it's only a crush, after all..." Kurumi chuckled. "After all, he loves Momo-chan right?"

"Hm..." Yuki began thinking. "I guess... Nick-kun is important to me... But... Ah, forgive me for this... I really wouldn't be all that affected if he died or something like that.. However... Saiki-kun... If Saiki-kun dies... I'll die too!"

"Sheesh, you're so demanding!" the gray witch giggled, playfully slapping the back of Yuki's head. "Romeo and Juliet... perhaps?"

Yuki heaved. "Only you would be so sure... Kurumi-chan."

Kurumi smiled, an arm slipping across Yuki's shoulders. "You know the funniest thing about it Yuki-chan? You're the one I like most... Not in a romantic way of course. But I care about you!"

"Like Akemi-chan and Moriko-chan?"

"Hm? Maybe... Maybe not. I'm not exactly completely sure..." Kurumi sighed. "But you know what I mean, right Yuki-chan?"

"Mm! I like you a lot too, Kurumi-chan!" the black witch exclaimed, smiling cheerfully.

The child model let out a sigh of relief, blushing a bright shade of pink.

"So long as we don't mean a different type of like..."

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_Nick looked around left and right as he continued walking._

"_This is just getting weirder and weirder by the moment..."_

_Unknownist to him, a shadow creature had formed in a nearby corner and had begun following him._

_However, as soon as it got close enough..._

_Swoosh!!_

_Nick sighed, bringing down his fist. "I don't really like being surprised like that... What next?"_

'_Patience, warrior.'_

_Nick perked up and continued walking._

"_...Whatever you say."_

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"Something just doesn't feel right..." Saiki repeated a second time, looking around.

"Ah Saiki-kun... You're just being paranoid again..." Moriko noted with a sigh, putting her hands on her hips. "Gaul's gone again..."

"But all this dark energy... Something's definitely not right..." the wizard replied, blushing a bit. "It feels... eerie."

"Saiki-kun's always especially acute to dark energy... I wonder if it has anything to do with his elemental abilities..." Yuki pondered, swinging her legs. "Maybe it was that energy that brought us together, right?"

Her boyfriend suddenly looked uneasy. "...Maybe."

"'_People with power are attracted to each other_'," Akari stated softly, surprised. "Is that what he meant?"

"Who? What?" Hinata asked, confused.

"N-Nothing!" her friend quickly replied, blushing like crazy. "I was just remembering something I heard once!"

"Oh... Really?" Looking straight into Hinata's confused brown eyes, she quickly nodded.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"You don't need to freak out, Akari-chan..." her more carefree friend mumbled, a little annoyed with narrowed eyes.

"I'm not freaking out!!" Akari immediately denied, waving her arms like crazy. "I'm just... er... a little paranoid."

"Aieee! Paranoia is contagious!" Hinata yelped dramatically, hands pressed on cheeks.

Akari flustered. "H-Hinata-chan..."

"Akari-chan, Hinata-chan, this isn't the time to be joking around!" Kurumi scolded. "If what Saiki-kun says is true, we best be ready!"

Glancing at Nick, she sighed.

"But... Oh, I sure Nick-kun wakes up soon..."

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"_Alright Chronicler, I'm here... Now can I get some more answers?"_

_That said, Nick looked around, a suspicious expression on his face. "Just what... is an Elemental Angel?"_

'_Coming this far... You deserve some answers... Very well.'_

_However, instead of the Chronicler himself appearing, Nick was directed to what looked like a prophecy with unknown lettering written under a few pictures._

"_How am I supposed to understand this?" the boy asked, raising an eyebrow._

'_Ah... There are but a few who can read the ancient writing you see. Fortunately, there is someone you know who can read it. Even if she does not have as much elemental energy as some... She is strangely gifted in this matter...'_

"_She? Who?" Nick wondered, now totally lost._

'_In your journey... There have been four girls who all have rather odd ties to destiny. The first one... The girl with twilight energy... She has her heart and her fate set on the night elemental... her beloved.'_

"_You must be talking about Yuki-chan..." Nick mused. "Get to the point."_

'_As you wish. Of course, I've mentioned the girl dressed in silver clothes... Kurumi, as you call her... But the two others... One with the grace of a swan, and the face of an angel... This particular girl with crystal energy...'_

"_Akemi-chan...?" he wondered. "You do mean Akemi-chan, right?"_

'_Indeed... But the final one... A girl with slight power over nature... The one who seems to be bent on protecting Akemi...'_

"_Oh, Mori-chan..." Nick uttered, laughing a bit. "She's the one who can read this writing, isn't she?"_

'_Yes... It is her who will be able to translate its secrets to you... For some reason, she seems to be more familiar with this particular writing than the rest...'_

"_She told me of the secrets she saw about this amulet Yuki-chan wore..." the green apprentice recalled, grinning. "I wouldn't put it past Mori-chan..."_

_He then realized something._

"_But, uh... How do I have her translate it if it's not here?"_

'_You will have to insert the image you see into her mind...'_

"_Isn't that forbidden magic?"_

'_You've gotten past those quite a lot of times, haven't you...?'_

"_Right..." Nick muttered, a bit annoyed. "In the meantime, tell me what you DO know..."_

'_As you wish...'_

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"Hm?"

Akemi perked up, suddenly worried.

"What's up, Akemi-chan?" Moriko asked, turning to her childhood friend.

"Moriko-chan, it's..."

"Saiki-kun, there's something that concerns me..." Kurumi started, walking up to him.

"Y-Yes...?"

"Do you think...? That it's possible... Er..." Kurumi blushed. "Nick-kun... may know just what's going on...?"

"Possible... Yuki-chan?" Yuki perked up automatically, blushing.

"S-Saiki-kun... It's so strange..."

"There's a sudden burst of energy in the area... I can feel it..." Saiki sighed. "Yuki-chan, stay close."

Yuki quickly nodded. "H-Hai!"

Moriko then froze, looking over.

"What was that?"

"You heard it too Moriko-chan?" Saiki asked, a bit surprised.

"The flowers might as well of been crying it out..." the jade witch muttered, biting her lip.

"What do you mean by that, Moriko-chan?" Ichiyou asked, confused.

"There must be a sound... Question is, why haven't any of the rest of us heard it?" Riiko wondered.

"Yuki-chan told me that Saiki-kun's senses are more acute than a regular person... or a regular wizard... So he appears to sense things at a faster rate... Even able to predict movements," Momoko recalled. "I wonder though..."

"...Why Moriko-chan could sense it?" Hazuki finished. "She's a bit intact with nature."

"A little too intact," Aiko noted, shrugging.

Moriko ignored it, groaning.

_Don't act cocky... Don't act ignorant. After all...  
_

_I would say the party's just begun._

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

'_The Elemental Angels are known as some of the most powerful magic users in existence. They are also known to have absolute command over their most treasured element. So far, as of this day, there have only been two known Elemental Angels. But the prophecies foretell the coming of two more. I am looking at one right now.'_

_This surprised Nick greatly. "Me? An Elemental Angel? But I don't feel like an Elemental Angel!"_

'_The power will only awaken when it is time, young one.'_

"_You seem to have a lot of thoughts about this kind of stuff. But, there's something I've got to know. If I'm one of the Elemental Angels, who's the other one?"_

'_It is someone very close to you. That is all I will say.'_

"_You mean Momoko?" Nick wondered._

'_Someone who holds you a little closer to their heart than her old crush.'_

"_If it's not Momoko, then who could it be?" Nick wondered._

'_Let me tell you another story, young one. The Elemental Angels of old were very close to each other, yet they did not realize they were in love until one of them was captured by an evil phantom out at sea. The surviving Angel made a perilous journey across treacherous oceans in order to save his beloved.'_

"_They really must have been dedicated to each other," Nick noted._

'_Like you would not believe. He was gone for a good few years, searching every inch of the treacherous Great Sea for his beloved. He promised himself that he would not stop looking until he found her.'_

"_Wow. And I thought Momoko and I made some heavy promises," Nick stated to himself._

_Just then, a massive creature appeared. It was towering about three times Nick's height, its purple armor shining in the light of the Temple of Dreams. It was also carrying two rather large swords that bore quite a resemblance to Gaul's old blades._

_Also, on its back was an eye that seemed to open and close at random intervals._

"_What the hell is THAT?!" Nick exclaimed, drawing his Chojiku Poron._

'_A manifestation of the very phantom that captured the female Elemental Angel ages ago. If you can defeat it, I will teach you something special.'_

"_That's kinda going to be moot if I can't even reach its weak spot!!" Nick exclaimed as he kept attempting to reach the eye on the creature's back. Every time Nick got close, the phantom turned around, not giving Nick any chance to attack._

'_Open your mind's eyes, young warrior. They will be able to see what you yourself cannot.'_

_Nick decided to heed this odd piece of advice, stopping in his place and closing his eyes, allowing him to concentrate. When his eyes opened again, he noticed that the phantom had gotten closer to him. Nick also saw what appeared to be an hourglass in front of him._

"_I wonder..." Nick asked himself, waving his hand around and mentally tracing the outline of the hourglass. Once he'd reached the beginning and completely traced the hourglass, everything around him seemed to stop dead in its tracks, including the phantom._

"_Wow. Did I just freeze everything here?" Nick wondered. Realizing that this time-freeze spell would only be temporary, Nick ran to the back of the creature, and its' eye was open. Nick took this opportunity to get in a few good hits as time restarted and the phantom jumped away._

"_Okay, so that's the way you're going to play, huh?" Nick stated, holding his Chojiku Poron in front of him._

"_Let the demon's luster shine brightly!! Hanyou Hikari!!"_

_Once Nick had transformed and baited the phantom into coming closer again, Nick quickly concentrated, once again mentally tracing the hourglass he'd seen before. Just like the first use, time froze, allowing Nick to head around to the back of the creature and get in a few good hits._

_When time restarted and the phantom jumped away again, it retaliated with a powerful spinning attack that Nick was just barely able to dodge._

"_All right. It doesn't look like it can take much more. Just one more hourglass attack and it should be done," Nick stated, only to just barely dodge a powerful lunge attack._

"_WHOA!! I almost got cut in half there! Thank god for my acute reflexes," Nick noted, concentrating again and tracing the hourglass once more._

_Once time was frozen, Nick went to the back of the phantom and quite literally plunged Hanyou Hikari into its eye, causing time to start up again and causing the phantom to twitch in agony as it accepted its defeat._

_Nick hopped back just as the phantom exploded in a flash of orange light. "That's what you get for messing with me."_

'_Well done, young warrior.'_

_With that, the Chronicler stepped out from the shadows once again._

"_You really must prefer speaking to me from afar, huh?" Nick asked._

"_When someone has seen as much of history as I have, you tend to become a bit reclusive," the Chronicler answered._

"_Tell me about it," Nick responded._

"_I never doubted you, young one. You do have the potential to become a great Elemental Angel someday. Nurture that power well. And, as a parting gift, I leave you with this."_

_With that, the Chronicler handed Nick what appeared to be an hourglass full of white and gold sand, similar to the one he'd mentally traced to freeze time earlier._

"_What's this little doohickey?" Nick wondered._

"_The Phantom Hourglass," the Chronicler answered as Nick took the oddly-shaped hourglass. "It allows you to manipulate time until the Sand of Hours runs out. But remember, manipulation of the time stream is not something you must take lightly. Use the hourglass's power only when you absolutely must, as the Sand of Hours is by no means unlimited."_

"_Noted and memorized," Nick stated, snapping the Phantom Hourglass onto his belt._

"_There are many more challenges ahead, Nick. But I have the feeling that with your friends by your side, you will be able to overcome whatever comes your way," the Chronicler stated._

"_No kidding. Someone once told me that true strength comes from protecting those you care about," Nick explained. "That simple fact has carried me and my friends through so many trials these past few months..."_

"_Good luck in your quest, young one."_

_And with that, the Chronicler disappeared, leaving a glowing door for Nick to enter. But first, there was something he had to do._

_Nick walked over to the mural he'd been shown earlier, placed his hand on the writing, and began to reach out to Moriko._

'_Mori-chan, can you hear me?'_

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As everyone was waiting for Nick to wake up, Moriko suddenly heard Nick's voice enter her head.

"_Mori-chan, can you hear me?"_

Moriko concentrated, relaying her message back to the green witch apprentice. _"Yeah, I can hear you, Nick-kun. Where the heck are you?!"_

"_Don't worry about that. I'll be awake in a few seconds. That Chronicler guy showed me some ancient writing that he thinks you can translate."_

After this, an image of the mural Nick had seen appeared in Moriko's mind.

"_It looks a little complicated, Nick-kun, but I'll try my best."_

"_Thanks, Mori-chan."_

As the voice faded from Moriko's mind, the others heard a loud yawn coming from the now-awake Nick.

"_Ohayou_, everyone. Sorry if I conked out on you guys again, but boy, do I have a story to tell you."

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"NICK-KUN!! You're awake!" Yuki called out, surprised. "Thank goodness!"

Nick grinned. "Thanks, Yuki-chan."

Yuki smiled brightly, making Saiki look a bit uneasy.

"So... What did you want to tell us?"

"...Mori-chan?" Nick perked up at the sight of Moriko writing something down on a notebook. "What are you doing?"

"Rewriting the message... Just to be sure," she answered, sighing as she placed the eraser to her cheek. "I was able to translate a good chunk of it... But it's still all so confusing.."

"Message?" Yumi repeated, lost. "What message?"

"Saiki-kun! You're familiar with ancient text right?" Moriko called out, a little curious. Saiki perked up, quite confused.

"Ancient text Moriko-chan? I've done my fair share of studies but..."

"Excellent! Get over here and help me!"

Not wanting to spark up the jade witch's temper, he obeyed, and she showed him the admittingly well done sketchings of the mural she had seen.

"Saiki-kun, it's s riddle. You're the only one good at riddles, not me... Unless I really think about it." Moriko sighed. "Love, mystery, and magic... Think you can crack it?"

Saiki shrugged, taking the sketch, and looked at it for a few good minutes before his eyes widened.

"You sure you don't understand it, Moriko-chan?"

"I dunno. You sure Yuki-chan's in love with you?" Moriko asked jokingly, though making him feel uneasy.

_For some reason, I'm just not sure... But..._

"Either way... It all seems clear to me..." Moriko's mouth formed an o.

"I see... Saiki-kun, I'm not a rocket scientist, or even any kind of human doctor... But doesn't it look a bit peculiar? Or... am I just imaging it?" The jade witch sighed heavily.

"Aw, I'm losing it..."

"Moriko-chan..."

"But here's an idea of what I got so far..."

Yuki blinked, watching every new expression on her boyfriend's face. "I wonder... what they're talking about."

"So the two former Elemental Angels were separated by the time they realized their feelings for each other...?" Momoko repeated as soon as Nick finished his story. "That's pretty sad isn't it?"

Yuki perked up. "Really? I realized I loved Saiki-kun when I went on my journey for the aku majoshikons... Nick-kun..." Getting up, she sighed.

"What I want to know is who the other Elemental Angel is..."

Akari and Hinata both tilted their heads to the side, confused.

Nick glanced at Kurumi, who immediately blushed and shook her head.

"No! Just... no! Nick-kun, you must be confused with someone else!"

"What about Kurumi?" Hana wondered, awfully confused.

Everyone stared at Kurumi, who gulped, blushing.

"T-There's just no way..."

"Kurumi-chan, can I speak to you just for a minute?" Yuki asked, walking up and grabbing Kurumi by the arm. Kurumi nodded and the two walked away.

"What was that all about...?" Onpu wondered, rubbing her arms. "Say Nick-kun, do really think... That if it's not Momo-chan, could it be..."

"NO WAY!!"

"Huh?"

Nick turned to see Moriko looking horrified, covering her mouth in shock.

"M-Mori-chan...?"

Moriko perked up, blushing as she stared at Nick. "I-It's nothing... Really! Please... Go on! I think we just about cracked our riddle! Ahahaha..." she laughed nervously, waving her hands like crazy.

Nick blinked twice. "Okay..."

"Well, that was weird," Yumi noted. Haruka nodded in agreement.

"I wonder what those two discovered... Saiki-kun looks a bit down..."

Akemi frowned, seeing her childhood friend continue her conversation with Saiki, who just seemed to sigh.

"Aw Saiki-kun... You can be bummed on me now! I know you like Yuki-chan but get ahold of yourself!" Moriko exclaimed holding up her fists. "Just really... Do you really think..."

"A key to destiny..." Saiki mused, looking a little tired. "I wonder..."

"I don't think I fit the image, to be honest... Maybe Akemi-chan?" Moriko then shook her head. "No... Definitely not. But it couldn't possibly be Yuki-chan... So... Who else does that leave?"

Saiki blushed. "Kurumi-chan... perhaps?"

"But Kurumi-chan..." Moriko began thinking. "Hm... I still like Tooru-kun... But I like Nick-kun a lot too... But he's... more of a toy to me... And Akemi-chan... She gets a crush on everyone, so I wouldn't put it past her, really..."

"Akemi-chan's just timid." the wizard interjected. "But Yuki-chan..."

"...practically worships you, so no way." Moriko giggled. "That leaves Kurumi-chan dearest!"

"It is possible... But what about the magical attraction?"

"Hm... Kurumi-chan draws her power from... So it's no wonder!" Moriko grinned. "But I don't know much about her and Nick-kun... And I kinda doubt Momo-chan's case... After all..."

She looked up, frowning. "But... you don't think..."

"I hope not..."

"Moriko-chan...?"

Moriko's eyes widened. "Akemi-chan dear, just a minute!"

Akemi nodded, still a bit uncertain. Moriko just sighed.

"I love Akemi-chan more than anything... You know that right?"

"...Yeah."

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"Kurumi-chan..."

"Yuki-chan..."

"..."

"..."

Silence.

"Kurumi-chan..." Yuki started, blushing a bit. "I think you fit the category quite well."

"D-Demo...!!"

"Your old crush... That would be Saiki-kun, wouldn't it?!" Yuki demanded, clenching her fists.

"W-Well... _yeah_ but... ooh!" Kurumi growled. "How am I supposed to know who I like more?! Sure my face may heat up around Nick-kun... But Saiki-kun _still_ makes my heart pound like crazy!"

"Well, who else could it be?!" Yuki shot back. "I may like Nick-kun and all but in a 'brother' sort of way... Saiki-kun's the only one who I care about!"

The gray witch sighed. "I just don't understand... Me? Me?! W-Why not Moriko-chan, or..."

"Kurumi-chan, you mustn't think like that! Moriko-chan only cares for Akemi-chan! And vice versa... Besides, I've always sensed something special within you... Kurumi-chan..." Yuki sighed. "Why are you so in denial?"

Kurumi sighed, her cheeks reddening. "_'Someday... You will cause pain to the one you like most'_. That was my fortune... I don't want that to happen..."

"You're confusing Nick-kun with me, Kurumi-chan. You already caused me pain, remember?"

"Yes... I don't want that to happen again... Especially not to you, Yuki-chan..."

Yuki frowned. "Kurumi-chan... You just gotta believe in yourself. Just repeat! 'No need to worry'! They may crush your cookie, but you'll always have your fortune!"

"Aw Yuki-chan..." Kurumi smiled, patting the black witch's head. "I can see why Saiki-kun loves you so."

Yuki blushed. "Y-Yeah..."

That's right... Saiki-kun...

"So... no need to worry right?"

Kurumi nodded.

"Yes... Definitely!"

Yuki grinned.

"I'm so glad!"

Her look-alike then blushed.

"Y-Yuki-chan... Thank you."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Shouldn't we be getting back?" Akemi wondered.

"Yeah, I'm really missing my home right about now," Haruka noted.

Just then, Moriko noticed something.

"Hey, where'd Nick-kun go?" Moriko asked. In all the confusion, Nick had disappeared.

"He'd better not have fainted somewhere again, because this is really getting old!!" Aiko exclaimed.

"Calm down, Ai-chan," Momoko stated. "I'll go look for him. He _is_ my boyfriend, after all."

With that, Momoko was off.

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Momoko looked around, still searching for her boyfriend. "Wonder where he could have gone?" she wondered.

"_Akaku, akaku, akaku yurete yume no yume no hate e..."_

_(Beyond these shaking red dreams of mine...)_

Momoko perked up at this voice. It definitely sounded like Nick, but a little deeper, as if he was singing.

After a few more steps, Momoko rounded a corner and noticed Nick sitting on a rock and singing.

"_Mou nando mo akiramete wa oshikorosu tabi  
__Ikiba no nai kanjou ga me wo samashiteku..."_

_(How many times have we given up to this stifling pressure?  
__These feelings with nowhere to go begin to close their eyes...)_

Momoko sat down close to Nick, who still seemed to be absorbed in his song. _It's a nice song,_ she thought. _Wonder where he learned it?_

"_Kegare no nai sono hohoemi zankoku na koto  
__Tooru sonzai da to wakaru yo..."_

_(Has that smile with no impurities been lost to cruelty?  
__I know that we're just passing existences...)_

Momoko quickly found herself humming along with Nick's song. It was just that catchy...

"_Mienai kizu kokoro mushibamu dake na no ni..."_

_(Although these unseen wounds are just eating away at my heart...)_

"_Yami no naka ni ima mo yadoru  
__Omoi wo osaekirenai..."_

_(Even now, as I remain in the darkness,  
__thoughts of you won't stop weighing down my mind.)_

Suddenly, Momoko remembered something. "Of course! Nick sang this for me at a talent show once! I can't believe I forgot about it!"

"_Akaku, akaku, akaku yurete yume no yume no hate e deatte shimatta  
__unmei ga mawaridasu..."_

_(Beyond these shaking red dreams of mine, the two of us had to meet,  
__and our fates began to turn.)_

"_Dare mo dare mo shiranai himitsu ochite, ochite, ochite  
__mou modorenai..."_

_(A falling secret that nobody knows.  
__We can't return things to how they used to be...)_

"_Tsumi wo kizandemo kitto..."_

_(Surely, no matter how much we slice apart these sins...)_

Once Nick had finished his song, he heard soft applause. He turned around to see Momoko clapping to his little performance.

"I take it you still like that song, huh?" Nick asked his girlfriend. "I did sing it almost four years ago..."

"I still never get tired of hearing it, Nick. You know that," Momoko responded. "Something on your mind?"

"I'm still a little confused about what the Chronicler told me. I never showed ANY sign of elemental powers like Yuki-chan or Saiki-kun... so why does he believe that I'M going to be one of the next Elemental Angels?"

"You do have a lot of latent power, Nick," Momoko replied. "You've shown off a lot of those powers just trying to save me. Remember? All those obstacles we ran into on the Battle Frontier? All those special attacks you used with Yuki-chan? You used those powers for the sole purpose of finding me. From what Yuki-chan told me, when Diablos separated us, you were so worried about me."

"I didn't even want to think of what that freak was doing to you when we got separated," Nick noted. "I never forgot the promises we made to each other."

Momoko smiled. "I'm glad."

With that, the two leaned in to kiss each other. They stayed together for about fifteen seconds.

When they separated, Momoko asked, "What do you think about Kurumi-chan?"

"Huh?"

"What do you think of Kurumi-chan? What is she to you?"

After a couple seconds of thought, Nick finally responded.

"She's really nice, Momoko. I know she's got a crush on me, and she does display some amazing power. Maybe she _could_ be the other Elemental Angel that the Chronicler was telling me about. But make sure you remember this, Momoko. Even if I do develop feelings for Kurumi-chan like the previous Elemental Angels, I'll always love you. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

"Will you kiss me again? To seal that promise?" Momoko asked.

Nick smiled. "I don't see why not."

They leaned forward, capturing each other's lips once more.

"HEY, YOU TWO!! YOU'D BETTER GET BACK HERE BEFORE I COME OVER THERE AND..."

"AI-CHAN!!" the others exclaimed.

Momoko couldn't help but giggle at this. "Well, I guess we'd better head back. You don't want to know what Ai-chan's going to do to us."

Nick could only nod.

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Just as everyone reappeared in the MAHO-dou, Nick noticed something weird outside...

...only to also notice that everything outside was basically in ruins!

"What the hell?" Kurumi exclaimed. "What happened?!"

"Looks like Evil Incorporated has been busy while we were away," Poppu noted.

Nick turned over towards Yuki, who was shivering.

"No... that can't be right..."

"What's wrong, Yuki-chan?" Nick asked, only to be whisked away by something. Yuki looked upwards, and her fears were confirmed...

"MAJOAKU!!"

Indeed, Majoaku was floating in the air, holding a struggling Nick. "It's good to see you still remember me, Yuki-chan."

"What the hell are you doing here, you little bitch? Didn't I destroy you back at the Battle Frontier?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"The Dark Master was kind enough to bring me back and rekindle my dark powers. I have some new abilities as well, so it won't be easy to bring me down this time!!" Majoaku exclaimed.

"Wait. Did you say the Dark Master?" Saiki asked.

The dark witch smirked towards Saiki. "Well, well. You're still using my daughter, aren't you?"

"YOU SHUT UP ABOUT SAIKI-KUN!!" Yuki shouted, already enraged. _"The waves of my own feelings, take this!! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!!"_

Majoaku simply dodged the attack. "Ah-ah. You wouldn't want to hurt your little friend here."

Nick started pounding on Majoaku's shoulder, only to no avail. "If you truly care for your little friend, Yuki-chan, you'll meet me alone by the mountains in three days. If you miss your chance, the kid is as good as dead," Majoaku stated before disappearing.

Akari and Hinata had already hid behind Akemi when Majoaku had appeared.

"Who was that?" Akari asked.

"That was an evil witch who we _affectionately _refer to as Majoaku," Moriko stated with heavy sarcasm.

"Look, can we explain about my family history later? Nick-kun's in big trouble!!" Yuki exclaimed. "Just what the hell are we supposed to do?"

For once, everyone was completely silent.

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"...Well..." Yuki started, cracking the silence with a sad smile. "Looks like I'll be in the mountains. Wish me luck."

"But Yuki-chan! Majoaku's probably NOT going to keep to her word, remember?" Doremi protested, obviously worried. "It's like the time with Saiki-kun... So we can't..."

"Majoaku's no fool!! She'll KNOW if I don't come alone! What, you want Nick-kun _dead_?!" the black witch shot back, obviously in no mood to argue.

Silence.

"Y-Yuki-chan..." Akari started, frowning.

Yuki let out a sigh, and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. We have three days after all... That's enough time for me to come up with something..."

"Yuki-chan, we all have a right to be concerned..." Kurumi stated, lifting her hands in a gentle gesture. Yuki looked down, sighing.

"You don't have to go alone, you know... Aren't we friends, Yuki-chan?"

"Kurumi-chan... Thank you. But..."

"At least let us stay close!!" Moriko exclaimed, interjecting, looking quite annoyed. "Yuki-chan, I refuse to worry in silence! Akemi-chan and I ARE your friends, whether you like it or not! So I WON'T let you leave, just like that!"

"Moriko-chan..." Yuki started, a bit surprised.

"Nick's my boyfriend... And you're my friend, Yuki-chan." Momoko smiled. "So... How can I just let you leave?"

"No one's ever strong enough alone..." Doremi started, taking Yuki's hand. "Surely you know that, Yuki-chan..."

Yuki blushed. "D-Doremi-chan..!! Urr..."

Onpu grinned. "You understand, Yuki-chan?"

The black witch flushed. "Oh Onpu-chan..." she smiled. "Everyone, thank you! But... I really want to go it alone."

"But why?" Hana asked, pouting a little.

"Because it's always my responsibility... And I have to handle it by myself. No worries! I'll be just fine!" Yuki pumped her fists. "I'll bring back Nick-kun, a-okay!"

"Well... If you say so..." Riiko shrugged. "But are you really that sure?"

"Sure as can be, Riiko-chan! Or... Should I call you Rii-chan?"

"Oh.." Riiko blushed. "Either's just fine. Really."

Akemi giggled. "Well, if Yuki-chan's sure, there's nothing more to be expected..."

Yuki beamed. "Akemi-chan..."

"Never thought you would become so straight-forward, Akemi-chan..." Hazuki noted, making her blush.

"W-Well... Aw, you know!!" Akemi smiled brightly. "I have Moriko-chan to thank for that."

"Got that right!!" Moriko exclaimed proudly, placing a hand on her hip. "But Yuki-chan..."

"Just rest everyone! We'll decide out a plan tomorrow, okay?"

The other Ojamajos all smiled, and nodded.

"Well, Yuki-chan is strong... Maybe she'll handle herself.." Aiko started. Haruka nodded.

"I'm sure Kellysi-chan will be just fine..."

"Hey Yuki-chan, you and Majoaku really seem to know each other..." Hinata started, an odd glimmer in her eye. "Were you friends or something?"

Yuki's lips twitched but she forced a smile. "Ah Hinata-chan... That's for another time..."

Hinata just shrugged and everyone headed inside. Akari casted a quick glance to Yuki, frowning as she went in as well.

Yuki then sighed. "Aah... Well..."

"Yuki-chan..."

"Kyaaa!" Yuki nearly jumped. "Saiki-kun! Don't scare me like that!"

"I'm... a little worried..." her boyfriend admitted, sighing a bit. Yuki blinked confused, but grinned.

"I said 'no need to worry', remember Saiki-kun? I'll be just fine! Daijoubu, daijoubu!"

Saiki perked up, and his eyes narrowed. "Yuki-chan, I won't fall for it."

"Eh?" Yuki seemed surprised but put on another smile. "Um... What does Saiki-kun..."

"You're lying again, Yuki-chan. You think I don't know? You've been using that fake angelic smile since the day we met." Yuki flinched as he continued.

"You... You're _afraid_, aren't you?"

"Why... Why would you think that?" she asked, her voice now shaking.

"Because..." Saiki huffed. "In reality Yuki-chan... You're really weak. You're scared to death... Am I right, Yuki-chan?"

"N-No!" she shouted, blushing like crazy, but half-heartedly. "I-I'm not weak... I'm not alone..."

"You keep telling yourself but... you don't believe it, do you?"

"Y-You're wrong! S-Saiki-kun... I have you... I'm not alone, I have you!" Yuki blushed darkly as she continued. "As long as I have Saiki-kun... Nothing else matters... Nothing..."

Saiki's eyes widened. "I... I couldn't possibly mean that much to you... Could I?"

"Saiki-kun... I'm not afraid of anything... If I were, it would be of being hated by you..." Yuki looked up, her brown eyes sparkling as they casted her boyfriend's reflection. "Saiki-kun... The only thing I ever want is to just be with you... j-just the two of us..."

Her eyes closed tightly. "T-Together... forever..."

Saiki stood there, still surprised. "Yuki-chan... What about Nick-kun?" he heard himself ask, heart pounding.

Yuki perked up, now confused. "What about him...? O-Oh... right... Oh, Saiki-kun..." She stopped, her eyes widening. "You... You think there's something between us, don't you?"

The younger prince blushed, lowering his gaze. "W-Well..."

"You IDIOT!" she yelled, now angry. "How on earth could you ever think... For one moment... For one moment... That I didn't love you?"

Silence.

Yuki clenched her fists. "Every night, Saiki-kun..." Saiki looked up, his coal eyes wide. "Every night... You appear in my dreams... Even when you're closest. Every night... I realize just how much I'm in love with you..."

They both blushed. "S-Saiki-kun... Even now... I still think of you mostly. I really... really love you... If Saiki-kun died, I would, too..."

Saiki blinked before huffing. "You're so demanding!!" he exclaimed, exasperated. "I'm sorry Yuki-chan... But if you died, I'm sure I _wouldn't_ die... Still... I'd like... to _live_ with you."

"That's just what Kurumi-chan said, Saiki-kun." Yuki blushed. "And _I'm_ sorry... It's just... you really mean a lot to me..."

"Same here, but..." Saiki sighed. "It's Nick-kun we need to worry about..."

"Yes..."

"I'm a little suspicious though..." he folded his arm. "Majo... Majoaku-san I mean..."

"Ne Saiki-kun..." his girlfriend started, walking up to him. "Would you ever..." Her arms snaked around his neck, instantly grabbing his attention. "Would you ever take advantage of me?"

"Um... I.. don't..." He stopped when he felt Yuki's lips pressed firmly against his own, making him flinch a bit before quickly returning it.

"I'll be the one to worry this time..." she stated quietly as soon as they separated.

"Yuki-chan..." Saiki blushed darkly as Yuki pecked his cheek, smiling brightly as she winked.

"...No need to worry."

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Three days later, Yuki had found herself at the mountains, waiting patiently.

She sighed, shivering. "It's... It's cold out here... I sure hope Majoaku didn't chicken out on me..."

"Now, why would I do that, Yuki-chan?"

The black witch perked up and spun around to face her mother.

"...Where's Nick-kun?"

"Relax, he's not dead yet. What I want to know is how you've been, Yuki-chan."

Yuki flinched, but answered. "I've been just fine... But, _where's_ Nick-kun?"

"Things have gotten so dire lately..." Majoaku stated to no one in particular. "So... How long will you let that boy use you, Yuki-chan?"

"Enough games!!" Yuki snapped, officially thin on patience. "Where is Nick-kun?! What did you do with him?!"

"I did nothing... That Dark Master has him now, not me. Besides I could care less for that kid... It's not like he's the one selfishly using my daughter for his own needs..."

"Shut up! Saiki-kun's not like that! What I wanna know is..." Yuki paused, but shook her head.

The dark witch smirked. "Tell you what. I'll tell you where your friend is... In return, I'd like to give that little boy a piece of my mind."

"As if I'd trade Saiki-kun for anything!" Yuki snapped, eyes flashing with anger. "Why don't you just TELL me Majoaku?"

"Hmph... Very well..." Majoaku gestured to a area radiating dark energy in the far north. "See Yuki-chan, your friend is over there."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Yuki asked, a bit shakily as she looked forward.

"Please. I have my pride, unlike him... I wouldn't suggest coming there alone, so gather up your so-called friends... You'll need the help." Earning a glare from her daughter she sighed. "Or you could just let him die... Take your pick."

"If I find out you're lying...!!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Majoaku injected, waving her hand. "Give me a break Yuki-chan. You believe me, either way... There's no reason to lie."

_She was right..._

With that she vanished.

"_Good luck."_

Yuki took a deep breath.

"Nick-kun... Just wait... Wherever you are."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Nick was still unconscious as the Dark Master studied him.

"This boy has great potential. Though that fool Ignitus and the other Guardians have not taught him the required skills yet, the boy can still be considered a threat to my plans. What should we do with him, Majoaku?"

"Give my daughter and her bratty friends a few days. If they are not here by Friday, you can go ahead and dispose of him."

"Will do, Majoaku."

With that, the dark witch was gone.

The Dark Master smiled wickedly.

"This time, there will be no escape for you, Ignitus. I will find you and your pathetic Guardians, and kill you all the same."

The Dark Master laughed viciously, not knowing that Nick was heading into another vision.

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"_Back here again, huh?" Nick stated as he re-entered the Temple of Dreams. "I'd better hurry this up. No way is Majoaku going to be patient."_

_Not wasting a single second, Nick stepped forward, only to have more creatures jump out at him. He swung his fist, which collided with a creature's face, electrocuting it on contact._

"_Whoa. That's kinda shocking," Nick noted, then adding to himself "I really need to stop making those stupid puns..."_

_Nick continued on after the creatures had all been fried (again with the stupid puns). While journeying through the Temple of Dreams, Nick discovered that his newest elemental power also had some more practical uses, like creating a tightrope of sorts over a large gap that led onwards, as well as pulling faraway switches that would open the way onwards._

_A few rooms later, a whole bunch of creatures came charging for Nick. He knew what to do here. Not wasting any time, Nick clenched his fists and concentrated, rising into the air. After a few seconds, Nick fell back down to the ground, slamming his hands onto it as he landed. This simple motion created a massive maelstrom of lightning that fried each and every one of the creatures._

_After a while of this, Nick eventually found himself in the mural room. This time, the mural depicted a young boy with angel wings fighting against a massive, towering dragon-shaped beast._

"_That looks like it could be prophesizing the final battle," Nick wondered. "But why is the Chronicler looking so far into the future?"_

_Nick turned around, expecting the Chronicler to appear and explain his reasons._

"_Hm... he's not here," Nick noticed. "Wonder what he's up to?"_

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"_Peruton petton pararira pon!! PURIFICATION!!"_

The silver light burst from Momoko's hands and shot towards the massive black dragon that was floating above the Ojamajos, but she simply batted it away.

"Is that the best you can do?" Cynder exclaimed, flapping her wings and firing more dark energy bursts for the Ojamajos.

"All right, I'm getting angry now!!" Kurumi exclaimed. "Why don't you come and face me?"

Cynder smirked, landing on the ground, her feet creating cracks in the ground where she'd touched down.

"All right, silver witch. Why don't you try me?" Cynder taunted.

"With pleasure," Kurumi shot back, holding her own hands out.

"_Puripuni pikipika chachaki!! PURIFICATION!!"_

A massive burst of silver light shot from Kurumi's hands. Cynder tried to push this blast back, but something about this energy was too strong for her to push back.

The black dragon screamed as she was enveloped by Kurumi's Purification spell. When the light cleared, the black dragon Cynder was gone, and in her place was a girl around Momoko's age. Her skin was slightly pale, and long hair cascaded down her back. Her hair was black, much like Yuki and Kurumi, but it also had some red and yellow highlights. Her eyes were an incredibly deep shade of amethyst. She was wearing a puff-sleeved shirt that was similar to Yuki's, but was black and purple in color. She was also wearing a flowing skirt that was blue in color, completing the ensemble with a pair of matching sandals. Coming from her back was a pair of black wings, similar to the ones seen with her original form.

"Wait a minute. Did that dragon chick just turn into a girl?" Moriko exclaimed.

"Well, Nick-kun DID say that Cynder used to be human before she was corrupted by the Dark Master," Akemi noted. "But I think he also said that only an Elemental Angel could purify someone with as much darkness as Cynder was corrupted with..."

At that instant, all eyes were on Kurumi, who was the one who had purified Cynder.

This fact surprised Kurumi.

"I... I AM the other Elemental Angel, aren't I?"

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The Dark Master continued to study the unconscious Nick, not even realizing that an electric cloud was forming above him.

"Such an interesting boy," the Dark Master stated. "He shows great potential, but he needs a little more training to be considered a threat to my plans."

Just then, the lightning that had been forming above came down and struck the Dark Master, knocking him straight to the floor.

The lightning also struck the chains that were restraining Nick, allowing him to move around again.

"You seriously didn't think it would be that easy for you, did it, Malefor?" Nick taunted.

Malefor growled. "I guess I should have been watching you..."

"Yeah, you should have," Nick shot back. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a friend to find here."

With that, Nick used his new element to cover himself as he teleported away.

"So. I see he has more potential than I originally thought of," Malefor noted. "This will be interesting."

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"NICK-KUN!!" Yuki exclaimed, calling out for her friend to no avail. _I swear to god, if Majoaku was lying to me..._

She was just about to turn and search in another direction, when a flash of green light appeared in front of her, and Nick came out of the light.

"Hey, Yuki-chan. Miss me?"

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"Nick-kun!"

Yuki grinned. "I can't believe it... How'd you escape?"

"Later, where's Momoko and the others... Moreover, where's Kurumi-chan?" Nick asked, looking around. "I don't see them..."

"They probably just now took care of that dragon... Cynder was it? Yes... Turns out Kurumi-chan was the Elemental Angel after all! Isn't that good?"

Nick perked up. "Huh... Well, I knew Kurumi-chan had it in her."

Yuki nodded. "But we ought to get to the rest... Especially Saiki-kun."

"I don't think there's much need for that, Yuki-chan."

The black witch squealed out of surprise. "S-Saiki-kun!! You weren't supposed to follow me!"

Saiki sighed, folding his arms. "What else was I supposed to do? By the way, Nick-kun..."

Nick blinked, a little confused. "Yes...?"

"You reek of the Dark Master's energy... Care to explain why?"

"He was there for a long time..." his girlfriend noted, fiddling with her fingers.

"True, but there's something else..." Saiki glanced at Yuki, who instantly blushed. "Yuki-chan..."

"Say, any idea where Kurumi-chan and the others are?" Nick asked, getting straight to the point.

"Should be not too far behind... But then again, who knows where the Dark Master is now, all this power is making me feel a bit dizzy..." Saiki paused, pondering over something. "Kurumi-chan on the other hand..."

Nick cracked a smile. "Well, better get back to them..."

Suddenly Yuki twitched. "N-Nick-kun... She's... here."

Her friend's eyes automatically darted around the area.

"Come on out! I know you're here!!"

"Hmph. Very well..."

Within moments Majoaku appeared, holding her sword close to Saiki's throat.

Yuki was the first to react. "Majoaku, you coward!! Let Saiki-kun GO!!"

"Ah. Get any closer and his life will forfeit... Serves the kid right."

Saiki shivered in the dark witch's grasp. "M-Majo... Majoaku-san..."

Nick began to think. _How to get Saiki-kun out of this jam... How?_

"What do you want anyway?!" Yuki demanded, clenching her fists. Majoaku smirked.

"Simple..."

Her boyfriend frowned. "It doesn't have to be like this you know... Majo... Majoruri-san."

The dark witch looked surprised at this, while Yuki and Nick looked just plain confused.

"Majo... ruri?" Nick repeated, now lost. Yuki blinked.

_Ruri..._

"Boy, how did you know?" Majoaku asked, pressing the flat side of her dark sword against his throat, almost to the point where it drew blood.

"T-That's your real name... isn't it?"

To everyone's surprise, the younger prince disappeared, reappearing beside Yuki.

"Saiki-kun..."

"Majoruri-san..." Saiki paused, blushing a bit. "I'm not... using Yuki-chan."

"Like I'd believe that..."

"It's true!!" Yuki shouted. "Majoaku! I know you just don't like Saiki-kun because he's nice..."

"Yuki-chan, every moment that boy spends with you, his power increases... It's _beneficial_." Majoaku sighed. "I can't just stand idly by..."

"Yeah right!" Nick snapped, only for Yuki to hold out her arm, surprising him.

"Saiki-kun's said something like that before too, _okaa-san_," she growled. "So shut up about him!!"

Saiki looked at Yuki for a good two seconds then back at her mother.

"Er... Majoruri-san..."

Majoaku's eyes then widened, taking a good look at her daughter's boyfriend.

"..._Koji_?"

Saiki perked up, confused. Yuki on the other hand reddened.

"His name is _Saiki-kun_, not Koji! Get it RIGHT if you're actually going to call him by name!"

"Koji..." the dark witch muttered again before looking shocked, shaking her head quickly, cursing.

"Whatever!" she yelled before vanishing.

"H-_HEY_!! You can't just threaten Saiki-kun and call him by the wrong name, and you can't disappear just like that, you COWARD!! GET BACK HERE!!" Yuki yelled, flailing her arms about.

"What was that all about?" Nick wondered, confused as heck. "Saiki-kun, do you know anyone named Koji?"

"It could be possible but... No." Saiki shook his head. "Sorry about that, Yuki-chan. I ended up being a bother..."

Yuki flushed. "N-No, Saiki-kun it's..."

"Speaking of which, Yuki-chan... I had no idea your mother's real name was Ruri... Nice name." Nick commented, smiling. The black witch looked surprised.

"I didn't know either! Maybe... Koji is..." she perked up. "Saiki-kun!! You were hiding something all this time!!"

Saiki laughed rather nervously. "Gomen-naisai... I should of told you, after all Majoruri-san _is_..."

Yuki sighed heavily.

"Saiki-kun..."

"HEEEEYYY!!"

The trio instantly perked up, looking over to see Kurumi as well as the other Ojamajos, Hinata and Akari included, running up to them.

"Hey guys! What'd we miss?" Kurumi called out, beaming. Nick had to fight down a laugh.

"A whole bunch, Kurumi-chan... A whole bunch."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Nick suddenly noticed the girl that was standing behind Kurumi.

"Um... who's she?" Nick asked.

"This used to be Cynder. You told us that she was actually a human girl before she'd been corrupted by the Dark Master," Akemi explained.

"I decided to call her Cyndi-chan!!" Hinata exclaimed.

Nick sweatdropped at this.

"She seems kinda like Akemi-chan and Moriko-chan combined," Kurumi explained. "She's very shy and reserved, but she still wants to get back at the Dark Master for what happened to her."

"I can show you where to find him," Cyndi noted. "I still have all of my old memories."

Nick was the only one to notice that Cyndi's blush was intensifying with every second she looked at Nick.

Nick felt himself blushing as well. _Looks like I've got another competitor for my affection. This is going to be tough. There's Momoko, Kurumi-chan, and her. Just perfect._

"Why don't you lead on, Cyndi-chan?" Aiko asked.

"_Ah, ah, ah, stupid witches. One more trial."_

Before anyone could even ask, Nick, Yuki, and Kurumi were all whisked away.

"Not this again..." Aiko stated, facepalming in her embarrassment.

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The three apprentices reappeared in a mysterious realm that appeared to radiate the very darkness from which it had been created.

"Wait a minute, isn't this the place where we took care of Majoaku after that whole incident with the Water Princess?" Yuki wondered.

"Yeah. It sure brings back memories," Nick noted, readying his Chojiku Poron for any possible sneak attacks.

"Well, well," Majoaku's voice reverberated. "We finally get to talk."

"What's there to talk about?!" Yuki exclaimed. "And don't you even THINK about touching Saiki-kun!!"

"You know, I'm getting real sick of you just prattling on about that boy," Majoaku responded. "It just makes me sick."

Not waiting for her daughter to answer, Majoaku released a shower of energy bursts for the three apprentices.

Taking her chance, Majoaku rushed forward, almost literally becoming an afterimage of herself. Unfortunately for her, Nick had caught on to this little trick, and swung his Chojiku Poron behind him, effectively stopping Majoaku's attack.

"Sorry, little lady. Those tricks aren't going to work on me this time," Nick stated, holding his Chojiku Poron into the air.

"_Let the demon's luster shine brightly!! Hanyou Hikari!!"_

Majoaku gasped in honest surprise as Nick transformed. The green witch apprentice hadn't been able to pull this trick during the last fight they'd had, and she'd been absent for a good chunk of the Battle Frontier journey before finally being done in by Yuki.

"I take it you haven't seen this trick before, huh?" Nick taunted before holding Hanyou Hikari into the air and drawing a circle with it.

"Turnabout is fair play, Majoaku!! _Aura Crescent!!_" Nick exclaimed, raising Hanyou Hikari and slashing through the circle of energy he'd just created, causing about a hundred beams of crescent-shaped energy to go flying towards Majoaku.

The dark witch was able to block some of the blades, but the rest clearly took their toll on Majoaku.

"Not bad, kid," Majoaku stated before disappearing again. Nick followed suit, fully utilizing the increased speed and agility that Hanyou Hikari gave him.

For about two minutes, all Yuki and Kurumi could see where the shockwaves from the impacts.

Nick hopped back after trying a horizontal strike and held his hand out towards Majoaku. Three lights appeared in his open palm: one green, one yellow, and one coal black.

"Eat this!! _Tri Attack!!_" Nick exclaimed, and the three lights became three beams of energy that swirled around each other until they struck Majoaku, sending her spinning as she crashed to the ground.

"Well, well. That's a new trick," Majoaku noted, composing herself.

"Figured you'd like it," Nick teased. "Why don't we get this show on the road?"

"Gladly."

However, before Nick could respond to this, he sank to the floor, having already fainted.

"NICK-KUN!!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Don't even think about it," Majoaku interjected. "We have a battle to finish."

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"_All right, this is becoming a little annoying with the constant fainting spells," Nick noted once he'd re-entered the Temple of Dreams. "Does he always have to make me faint when we do something like this?"_

'_Patience, young one. This will be your final elemental test, and then I will see if you are worthy.'_

"_All right, then. Let's just get this over with."_

_With that, Nick stepped forward, and, just as expected, another creature jumped him. Nick quickly shot forward, thrusting his hand towards the creature, and out came a powerful double sonic boom that sent the creature rocketing into a nearby pillar._

'_The power of earth is a miraculous weapon. But controlling the force of nature is something that must not be taken lightly. Exercise extreme caution when using this elemental power.'_

_Nick nodded, easily absorbing all of the information._

_In the next room, a whole bunch of creatures came charging forward. Nick didn't waste any time in focusing his powers and rising into the air. As Nick focused, the room began shaking like crazy as if an earthquake was going on. Nick dropped back to the ground and slammed his open palms into it, creating an immense upheaval that destroyed the creatures easily._

'_Well done, my valiant warrior. You have mastered all four of the elemental forces. Now, they will be put to the test.'_

_Before Nick could ask what the Chronicler was talking about, something massive dropped down from above. When Nick could focus his vision again, he was looking straight at a towering crystal dragon that was flashing multiple colors. It looked ready to attack at a moment's notice._

'_You must fight the Elemental Dragon to prove if you are worthy of these powers.'_

"_Aw, man," Nick exclaimed, readying his Chojiku Poron. "Today just isn't my day."_

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"Nick-kun has terrible timing!!"

"I'll say!"

The two girls jumped back, sighing. "Seriously Kurumi-chan... Why _now_ of all times?"

"W-Who knows...?"

They both nodded. "Let's just go for it."

"Right!"

**("Binetsu" by Aya Ueto plays)**

"_The waves of my own feelings, take this!! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!!"_

"_The hidden energy deep within my heart, take this!! Ojamajo Moonlight Pulse!!"_

Majoaku simply dodged the two attacks as if they were nothing. "Come on, I know that's not all you got, Yuki-chan."

"Far from it!" Yuki yelled, raising her fist. "_Shadow Claw_!!"

The dark witch took quick caution, blocking the black witch's rally of punches. Yuki jumped back, doing a graceful flip.

"I'm not as elegant as Akemi-chan, but still!" Yuki grinned, turning to Kurumi. "Kurumi-chan.."

Kurumi nodded, and the two joined hands.

"_Powers of the forbidden twilight..."_ Yuki chanted.

"_Energy of the mysterious moon..."_ Kurumi chanted.

"_Together, rise up to protect and conquer those who stand in our path..."_ They clapped their hands together and pulled each other close. They drew their free hands back.

"_Double Ojamajo Twilight Barrage!"_

Majoaku quickly defended herself to take minimum damage. "Not too bad..."

"We'll need a few new tricks to hold through, Yuki-chan..." Kurumi noted, thoughtfully. Yuki nodded.

"Yeah, but what?"

Kurumi beamed. "I have an idea..."

Whispering her plan in her look-alike's ear, a smile formed on Yuki's face. "Great idea!"

Majoaku turned suspicious. _What are they...?_

"Mugen!! _Infinite_!" Kurumi chanted, clapping her hands, a sphere of silver energy forming.

"Mugen!! _Fantasy_!" Yuki chanted, clapping her hands, a sphere of dark purple energy forming.

The two girls glowed with a bright light as their spheres joined, then they joined hands, holding the other close, both glowing a silvery white.

"_With enough love to make makkura to sakugan, we'll balance out our ill-fated future with purity from our past innocence!!"_

Kurumi and Yuki drew their hands back.

"_Double Ojamajo Time Swift!!"_

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"_Whoah!!"_

_Nick quickly jumped out of the way of the rampaging dragon. "Hold it down, you oversized lizard!!"_

_The Elemental Dragon didn't take too lightly to this and roared, letting out a furious looking ice beam that hit Nick on the shoulder, making him shake like crazy, holding his injury._

"_That... was COLD..."_

_Next was the traditional fire breathing, which Nick dodged with ease his shoulder healing with the heat. "Okay, okay. Not too bad."_

_Stomping its claw into the ground, Nick smirked._

"_Alright then, let's do it."_

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Majoaku panted getting up from the force of the blow, breathing deeply.

"Impressive... Yuki-chan."

Both Yuki and Kurumi were on the ground, shaking from the amount of energy used, but Yuki still got up, helping up Kurumi as well.

"There's a downside to everything... I'm sorry, Yuki-chan." Kurumi apologized, sighing. "I..."

Yuki's hand tightened around her own.

"Don't worry about it, Kurumi-chan. Everything has a price." Yuki smiled at her. "No need to worry, right?"

Kurumi blushed darkly and smiled back. She nodded. "Yeah..."

The dark witch scoffed.

"Hmph. Let's continue then, shall we?"

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"_Speed Break!!"_

_The dragon roared, trying to spot Nick's movements as he struck from all directions. Finally, landing one hard blow on the back, the lizard came tumbling down, Nick floating above it, panting a little._

"_Did I...?" he started to ask only to get slapped hard by the tail, making him crash against the wall._

"_A-Apparently... not..."_

_Getting up, he noticed the dragon flapping overhead, a dark energy forming in its claws._

"_That's... so not good."_

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"Huh?"

Akari perked up, looking about. "What the?"

"What's up, Akari-chan?" Saiki asked, making her blush like crazy.

"Sai... Saiki-kun..."

"Ya think Kellysi-chan, Yuki-chan, and Kurumi-chan are doing well?" Aiko suddenly wondered, folding her arms.

"Of course!" Momoko responded automatically. "I believe in them..."

Saiki sighed, turning back to Akari. "Is something wrong?"

Akari quickly shook her head. "N-No... It's just..."

Akemi snapped up.

"Incoming, everyone!"

As if to respond to the crystal witch's warning, piles of shadow creatures began forming around the group, to their surprise.

"What the?! What ARE these things?!" Yumi exclaimed, clearly disgusted.

"No worries, they're just lonely souls... They're weak.. but really persistent," Cyndi noted, smiling a bit. "It'll just knock off some time from our agenda."

"Alrighty then, Cyndi-chan!!" Hinata exclaimed, pumping her fists.

Akemi looked determined, and clenched her fists. _"Kennshou Henzuru!!"_ she exclaimed, glowing the familiar rainbow aura, shifting into battle stance.

Moriko grinned. "Alright then! _Sakura Scatter_!!" she chanted, throwing out the sharp sakura pedals, vanquishing a good number of shadow creatures...

...only for ten more to start showing up!

"Persistent is right!!" Ichiyou exclaimed, pushing back a few. "These guys just won't quit!!"

"Just bear with me!" Cyndi called out, clearly annoyed herself.

Akemi gulped, disappearing to strike down a few dozen while Moriko knocked out quite a bunch.

"Hana-chan doesn't like this..." Hana muttered after taking out some with her spinny kick.

"No giving up... No backing down..." Fami started. "Looks like these things got nothing to lose!"

"I'll say!!" Doremi exclaimed. "If only we could take them all out at once..."

"But... there's so many!!" Hinata yelped, slashing away.

"Akari-chan, look out!!" Saiki called out, pulling Akari out of the way for a dogpile.

Akari squealed. "Wow! T-Thanks Saiki-kun..."

"Like Onee-chan said, 'if only'..." Poppu sighed.

Saiki instantly perked up.

"Wait just a minute..."

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"Out of the way, Kurumi-chan!!" Yuki exclaimed, shoving down the gray witch.

Majoaku smirked. "The future looks dim, Yuki-chan..."

Yuki growled. "Argh! This ISN'T working! Kurumi-chan, we have to think of something!"

Kurumi frowned. _It's true... Nothing's going right... And we wasted so much energy already... If only..._

The black witch then perked up.

"By the way, _okaa-san_... Mind telling me who Koji is?"

Majoaku flinched and slashed through her body, pushing her back. "That is no business of yours Yuki... Why I called that little boy that... I was mistaken, after all..."

Yuki gritted her teeth, clearly angry. "LEAVE SAIKI-KUN OUT OF THIS!!"

"_The waves of my own feelings, take this!! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!!"_

Majoaku dodged, smirking. "Ever the short-tempered one..."

Yuki began glowing with her familiar twilight aura. "Alright!"

"_For one so brave for the sake of love..."_

Her uniform materialized, and her hair pulled back into a ponytail as she struck her signature pose.

"_The Black Purifier of Courage, at your service!!"_

Kurumi smiled brightly. "Yuki-chan!"

Yuki winked at Kurumi and faced her mother who took caution.

"...Interesting."

"That's only the half of it, Majoaku!"

Kurumi perked up.

_That's right... For Yuki-chan's sake as well as..._

She glanced at Nick's unconscious body and smiled.

_...As well as Nick-kun's and Saiki-kun's... No way will I let Yuki-chan protect me... Hah! I'll protect __**her**__ instead!_

The gray witch began glowing a silver aura, attracting Yuki's attention.

"Ku...Kurumi-chan..."

"Don't leave me out of the fun!" Kurumi exclaimed, winking before the glow engulfed her body.

"_For one who would never betray her friends..."_

Kurumi's hair was pulled back into a ponytail as well, but split naturally into two parts as a silvery uniform formed.

"_The Gray Purifier of Loyalty, at your service!!"_

Striking a pose, she grinned.

"Let's get started... shall we?"

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Very well, then," Majoaku taunted, forming a dark energy sword and charging for Kurumi.

"I don't think so!! _Rainbow Arc!!_" Kurumi exclaimed, extending her palms. After about a second, a rainbow spiral of energy shot forward and knocked Majoaku back a few feet, the damage done.

"_Twilight Shard!!"_ Yuki exclaimed, holding her hands out and firing numerous shards of twilight energy for Majoaku.

"So, I see you've learned some new tricks as well," Majoaku noted. "I'm getting sick of this. Why don't we just end this?"

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_The Elemental Dragon simply roared, ready for a new challenge._

_Nick continued to dodge further elemental attacks, including the powers of shadow and twilight._

"_Man, this thing just won't give up!!" Nick exclaimed. "Looks like I'm going to have to get serious! The bow and string of a determined boy, take this!! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!!"_

_The Elemental Dragon easily dodged the attack, not knowing that the blast had reflected off the glass walls until it was struck in the back._

"_Aha, now we're getting somewhere!!" Nick exclaimed. "The force of a boy's determination, take this!! Ojamajo Sparkle Spiral!!"_

_A spiral of sparkling energy struck the Elemental Dragon. Nick continued to dodge left and right, alternating between his two special attacks until the Elemental Dragon slumped to the floor, obviously almost out of steam._

"_ALL RIGHT!! Time to finish this!!" Nick shouted, ripping forward and delivering a powerful final strike with Hanyou Hikari that quite literally carved the crystal dragon in half, both halves eventually shattering into pieces._

"_Well, that was fun," Nick noted after the Elemental Dragon's remains had dissipated._

'_You have done well, young warrior. Not many hopefuls have defeated the Elemental Dragon.'_

"_All right, Chronicler, I want some answers. Why are you teaching ME these elements?" Nick demanded._

'_You remember the story I told you of the previous Elemental Angels, right? But there is still more to the story. One day, they were captured and their powers were drained by Gaul to give to the Dark Master.'_

"_I actually ran into Malefor a little while ago," Nick replied._

'_What actually happened during that time was not what you would expect. Though the Elemental Angels were drained of most of their powers, they were able to use the remains of their abilities to seal the Dark Master within the Well of Souls, though this cost the Angels their own lives.'_

"_Oh. So that's what happened," Nick noted. "That's not going to happen to me and Kurumi-chan, is it?"_

'_The future is up to you, young one. You know that as well as I do. What becomes of your future is entirely your choice.'_

"_Thanks, Chronicler," Nick stated. "Now, can I get back to my friends? They're in a bit of a jam, and I think they need my help."_

_No response, but a glowing door appeared that led back to the battlefield where Yuki and Kurumi were still fighting Majoaku._

"_Don't worry, girls. I'm coming," Nick stated before drawing Hanyou Hikari and heading into the doorway._

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"Man, they just keep coming!!" Yumi exclaimed. This battle had been going on for about thirty minutes, and the shadow creatures seemed to have no intention of letting up.

"I told you, they're persistent," Cyndi noted, flapping her wings and taking to the sky. She noticed that one of the stronger creatures had followed her up there.

Cyndi smiled, waving her finger towards the creature. "I don't think so! _Shadow Claw!!_"

With that, Cyndi swung her arm forward, easily cutting down the creature.

"Whoa!!" Moriko exclaimed. "How do YOU know Yuki-chan's special move?"

"The Shadow Claw's actually a common move for us users of the shadow element," Cyndi explained. "Though Yuki-chan's is bound to be more powerful than mine, since she commands two elements together."

Still more creatures came, not being at all fazed by their brethren's defeat. After about five more minutes, Momoko had finally had enough.

"THAT'S IT!!" Momoko exclaimed. "I'm really getting sick of this!!"

That said, Momoko began to rise into the air, her body covered in a soft yellow glow.

"_For one so truly touched by the power of emotion..."_

Momoko came out of the glow in her own Purifier uniform, which was similar to Yuki's, save color. Her trademark onion-ring buns had come undone, her hair flowing freely in the breeze. Her emerald-green eyes now glittered with a golden light.

"_Sugoi..."_ Akemi stated.

"_The Yellow Purifier of Love, at your service!!"_

Momoko landed gracefully on the ground, a gold aura emanating from her.

"All right, shadow boys, why don't you try me?" Momoko taunted. The shadow creatures responded to this challenge by dogpiling on the yellow Purifier.

"Bad idea, guys," Momoko stated, throwing her arms out and unleashing a golden energy ripple that knocked them all out.

Still more creatures appeared, but Momoko easily zipped from one to another, dispatching them with rapid martial arts moves.

And, before the Ojamajos knew it, the shadow army was finally drawing to a close.

"FINALLY!!" Moriko exclaimed. "Why didn't you show off those powers before, Momo-chan?"

"Element of surprise," Momoko explained. "That's all I'm going to say."

"Well, then, let's get going!!" Aiko exclaimed.

Cyndi looked a little confused. "Is she really that impatient?" she asked Momoko.

Momoko couldn't help but giggle. "Ever since Nick joined the team. I think Ai-chan took it the hardest."

Cyndi giggled herself. _I see..._

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"YUKI-CHAN, LOOK OUT!!"

Taking no time, Kurumi tackled her look-alike out of the clear shot of Majoaku's sword heaving. "Y-Yuki-chan..."

Yuki huffed, getting up. "Thanks Kurumi-chan! Ooh, this is just getting annoying!"

Kurumi nodded, sighing. "Yes... But we just have to bear... Nick-kun's still not awake you know."

"M-Mm..."

Yuki quickly shook her head and clenched her fists. "Okay then..."

Throwing her hands forward, she shut her eyes tightly. _"Snap, Tobiume!!"_

Within seconds, the black witch's trademark sword formed in her hands, making her grin.

"Alrighty!"

Majoaku simply smirked. "Well done, Yuki-chan. Let's see what you got."

"_Tobiume!! Flick them with the mysterious energy of twilight!!"_

Shutsuga Tobiume began glowing a familiar twilight aura as Yuki let out her breath. "Okay..."

"_Twilight Rush!!"_

Majoaku quickly dodged the attack, raising her own dark energized sword.

"Interesting as usual, Yuki-chan."

Yuki frowned but they collided their swords with a loud 'clang', making a smile appear on the black witch's face.

She nodded. "Got it, _okaa-san_."

Majoaku gave her a slight smile before the two of them disappeared, every impact becoming obvious to the gray witch close to them.

Kurumi gulped.

"Y-Yuki-chan..."

_I sure hope she's winning..._

Soon Yuki stopped, sliding back, lightly panting before glancing at her mother who didn't seem to break a sweat.

"You... You really have gotten stronger."

Kurumi gritted her teeth. _Yuki-chan...!!_

"_Moonlight Barrage!!"_

Majoaku blocked her attack, pushing her a few yards back, making her slam against the wall.

"KURUMI-CHAN!!" Yuki exclaimed.

The dark witch huffed. "I've just about had it with you..." Raising her hand, a fierce concentration of dark energy appeared in her palm.

Kurumi looked up, lightly gasping. _Oh, no..._

"Majoaku, don't!!" her daughter yelled, clearly worried. "_Onegai_!! Please don't!!" Majoaku simply smirked and fired the shockwave.

The gray witch closed her eyes tightly.

_This can't be the end... Yuki-chan!!_

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this!! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!!"_

The shockwave collided with the arrow, ending in a blinding light that caught _everyone_ by surprise.

Kurumi perked up. _Was that...?_

"Well, well. Looks like I got better timing then I thought... Huh, Kurumi-chan?"

The child model looked over and smiled brightly, eyes sparkling.

"Nick-kun!!"

Nick grinned, placing a hand on his hip. "Yo. What'd I miss?"

Yuki blinked, then smiled. "Just in the nick of time... Right?"

Kurumi blushed as Nick extended a hand, helping the gray witch up. "Um... Thanks, Nick-kun."

He winked. "No prob, Kurumi-chan."

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"It feels... _eerie_," Doremi stated to no one in particular, her bright magenta eyes darting all around the area.

"What did you expect Doremi-chan?" Saiki asked, sighing. "We're close to the Dark Master... Someone who has more strength than we could imagined..."

He groaned. _Still... It disgusts me how I can feel my power increasing in this place... Sooner or later, I'll end up losing control of it.._

His fists clenched as he saw Yuki's smiling face in his mind. _I don't want that to happen..._

"Where, oh where could our friends be?" Moriko wondered in a sing-song voice, trying to brighten up the mood. "Where on earth could they be?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Cyndi replied, sighing as well. "Even I don't know my way around here..."

"I hate it here..." Akemi muttered, eyes glittering. "There's a stench of death and blood... I don't like it one bit!!"

"Calm down, Akemi-chan." Ichiyou stated. "We all can't stand it."

Riiko nodded. "I hate this place too, but..."

"I can't sense Nick anywhere..." Momoko whispered, shoulders drooping. "The shroud around this place masks his aura..."

"Well, that's just great," Aiko stated sarcastically.

"It's so huge... How will we find them?" Hazuki asked, her voice wavering as she adjusted her glasses.

"There's always a way," Fami stated, looking at the castle rather suspiciously. "Besides... How far could they have gone?"

"Who knows?" Poppu shrugged.

Haruka sighed. "But Fami-chan's right... We'll find them soon, won't we?"

"As long as we find them before it's too late..." Yumi muttered, wrinkling her nose.

Hana shivered. "Hana-chan sure hopes that's not the case!"

"Saiki-kun, Yuki-chan's your wife, isn't she?" Hinata asked, much to the wizard's dismay.

"No. She's my _girlfriend_," he corrected, clearly annoyed. "What about it?"

"And your element is dark... Right?" she asked again, eyes glittering.

Saiki then sighed, shaking his head. "I see where this is going, Hinata-chan... Listen, I don't know if..."

"If you know of a way to find both Yuki-chan and Kurumi-chan, please share!" Akari exclaimed, blushing like crazy. "We need to find them, remember?"

Saiki frowned. "The thing is, Akari-chan..." he stopped, meeting Akari's pleading pink eyes.

"O-_Onegai_..."

He sighed again.

"I... Alright, I'll try."

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Majoaku lightly cursed.

"You're awake... Huh."

Nick shifted into battle stance. "Exactly how much fun did you have without me...?"

Yuki eyes widened. _Ah!_

"Nick-kun..." Kurumi started, now on the defensive.

"Nick-kun, no!"

"Huh?"

Nick looked confused as Yuki took her step, her dark brown eyes glittering with an obviously displeased emotion that left him speechless.

"Yuki-chan...?"

"You can't. Majoaku is my responsibility, got it?!"

Majoaku smirked while Nick gulped.

"A-Alright... If you say so, Yuki-chan. Are you sure?"

Yuki nodded, then smiled.

"No need to worry! Daijoubu desu!"

Nick quickly smiled back. "Okay then. Whatever you say, Yuki-chan."

Kurumi smiled as well. "Just be okay, alright Yuki-chan?"

"Hai!"

Yuki turned to Majoaku, shifting into her usual battle stance. "So... Whatta ya say, Majoaku?"

The dark witch chuckled. "...As you wish."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"TAKE THIS!!" Majoaku exclaimed, releasing about a hundred dark ripples of energy that Yuki easily dodged.

"Really, is that all you've got, Majoaku?!" Yuki exclaimed. "I guess it's time to step it up!!"

With that, Yuki rested Shutsuga Tobiume on her shoulders and held her arms out.

_No way..._ Majoaku thought. _Don't tell me she's going to release it again..._

"Nick-kun... if I lose control, you know what to do, okay?" Yuki asked. Nick simply nodded, signifying that he understood.

"I'm counting on you, Nick-kun."

With that, Yuki was surrounded by a powerful dark aura.

"_Dark magic... __**release!!**__"_

The powerful dark magic that Yuki had been born with flared to life around her. Now, Majoaku was really scared, as she knew quite well that her daughter's full power far surpassed her own.

_I may be scared of my own daughter's power... but that doesn't mean I can't do something about it!!_ Majoaku thought, readying herself for her daughter's attack.

Yuki easily obliged, rushing forward with Shutsuga Tobiume held proudly.

"Take this!! _Twilight Rush!!_"

After each slash, Yuki turned around and came back for another attack. By the time the Twilight Rush was over, Majoaku had taken serious damage, but still stood ready to fight, not showing any signs of fear.

"So, you've definitely gotten stronger," Yuki noted as Majoaku floated to the ground. Yuki began spinning Shutsuga Tobiume in front of her.

"That's good to know! _Twilight Blitz!!_"

Not wasting any time, Yuki slammed Shutsuga Tobiume into the ground, sending a series of powerful twilight energy waves straight towards Majoaku.

In her weakened state, Majoaku couldn't avoid the blast in time, and was forced back a couple feet.

"NO!!" Majoaku exclaimed. "I will not lose to my own daughter!!"

With renewed determination, Majoaku charged for her own daughter, the pair's blades clashing with loud clangs.

Taking advantage of a moment's opportunity, Yuki blocked another swing from Majoaku, did a somersault over the dark witch, and thrust Shutsuga Tobiume forward the instant she'd landed.

Majoaku looked down and noticed the blade of Shutsuga Tobiume piercing through her.

"I guess... my time is up," Majoaku stated as she began to fade away. However, she sounded more like Ruri, who Majoaku used to be before she'd been overwhelmed by dark magic. "If only I could have seen you one more time..."

"Yeah..." Yuki stated, letting Tobiume revert back to her wand. "Those were the good old days, huh?"

"Here, take this," Majoaku stated, tossing something to her daughter. It turned out to be a strange-looking amulet. "It's said to work in conjunction with that hourglass your friend is carrying."

"All right. See you around, _okaa-sama_," Yuki stated.

Majoaku nodded before disappearing completely.

"So, Nick-kun, what IS that hourglass thingy you're carrying?" Yuki wondered now that the battlefield was calm.

"It's the Phantom Hourglass," Nick explained. "I got it from the Chronicler during one of those fainting spells I had. If I draw an hourglass in my mind, I can use some of the Sands of Hours to freeze time temporarily. I've gotta be careful, though, because these sands run out rather quickly."

"Um... this is definitely all flowery and nice, but shouldn't we be getting back? The others are probably worried sick," Kurumi noted.

"Good idea, Kurumi-chan," Yuki stated, heading for a portal that had just appeared, only to be stopped by Nick, who gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Good job, Yuki-chan."

"No problem at all, Nick-kun!"

With that, they followed Kurumi through the portal...

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...only to be nearly nailed by a gold energy ripple as they came out.

Nick was the first to notice Momoko in her Purifier uniform, zipping through a horde of shadow creatures and dispatching each and every one of them with relative ease.

Once the shadows were all gone, Momoko floated down to Nick's position.

"Welcome to the next level, huh?" Nick teased.

"Like you can talk," Momoko responded. "You reached the next level way before I did!"

"Um, guys, I REALLY hate to interrupt your little talk, but could someone please explain what THAT is?" Moriko, pointing towards the sky, where a giant tear could be seen.

"I think the Dark Master's hiding in there," Cyndi noted. "He's got the power to rip holes in the fabric of space and time, but that's about the limit of his powers."

"He's actually IN that space-time anomaly?" Hazuki wondered. "How is he surviving in there?"

"I don't really think there's any time to talk about this," Nick noted. "If the Dark Master is in there, we have to go in there, too. It's the only way we'll be able to stop him. So who's with me?"

No one said anything, but they didn't really have to. Nick knew that his friends would stay by his side until the very end.

"Exactly what I thought," Nick responded with a smile. "Let's move out!"

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Malefor laughed evilly as he watched the Ojamajos enter the space-time anomaly. "Perfect. With this simple action, all the players are coming together. Soon, those wretched apprentices will know the true meaning of fear. Isn't that right, my dear?"

A female voice beside Malefor spoke up. "Yes, master."

"Remember, my dear. If anything happens to me," Malefor stated, gesturing to four shadowed objects in the background, "use them to destroy the witches."

The female voice spoke up again. "Of course, master. I will not fail you."

(Another BONUS by Yuki: Hmmm... Are we at the end yet again? Interesting. Well, in spite of our dark Act 2, I shall add a light-hearted ending with the song "Ryuusei" by TiA! YAY!!)

_I believe your promise, it's too hard to give me courage  
__all with my feelings, the precious time seeing you..._

(Footage: A line art of Hinata and Akari in swimsuits watching the sunset from a back view is being painted. Once finished, both Hinata and Akari look at each other and laugh.)

_tachidomatta kado ni  
__asu he mukau kaze wo kanjiteta_

_(Standing still, I felt a wind on my shoulder  
__that was heading towards tomorrow)_

(Footage: Akari steps onto the sand, soothing down her hair as it blows in the wind and fiddles with the bottom of her skirt. She then looks over and spots Hinata in the water, waving at her to join. Akari just smiles.)

_machi no akari hoshikuzu mitai ni  
__futari tsutsumu kedo_

_(The city lights surround the two of us like stardust  
__it wraps two people together)_

(Footage: Akari and Hinata continue splashing each other while laughing, when they both turn to the screen as we pan up to their bright smiles. We switch to their views, and it shows Nick as well as the other Ojamajos waving, with them also in swimwear.)

_sorezore ni chigau  
_"_kagayaki ga aru" to  
__warau kimi ga ichiban mabushiku mieru yo_

_(You smile, saying  
_"_Each one is brillant in its own way"  
__To me you look the brightest of them all)_

(Footage: Saiki rests himself against a rock while he lazily watches Yuki as she fiddles with an umbrella, which suddenly puffs up, surprising her, making him just laugh at the sight. Yuki turns to him, blinking twice, a bit confused, and then smiles brightly, beginning to laugh as well.)

_yume wa ryuusei no you ni  
__ameagari no niji no you ni_

_(A dream is like a shooting star  
__and like a rainbow after rainfall)_

(Footage: Momoko rests her head against Nick's shoulder, making him smile as he places an arm around her shoulders.)

_kono kokoro ni hikari wo tsuretekuru_

_(It brings all this light into my heart)_

(Footage: Moriko and Akemi are seen building a sandcastle and Hana plops on a flag, all them clapping when done. We then pan to Doremi, who's hissing with as she rubs some oil on her leg where she apparently got sunburned with Poppu who's just sighing at the sight.)

_mayoitsuzukeru koto ga hitotsu no kotae ni naru yo  
__go makashitari shinai to chikaou_

_(One possibility is always to remain lost  
__let's both vow not to lie to each other)_

(Footage: Everyone else just seems to be having a blast and we pan to Akari and Hinata again who both giggle. The two scoot in closer, and entwine their fingers as they clasp each other's hand.)

_all with my feelings, the precious time seeing you..._

(Footage: Everyone then looks up. The sun sets, colors blazing through the sky.)


	11. MOVIE: Yukizora no Tomodachi Act 3

Act 3: Nothing in the Dark

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"Wow, this place is huge!!"

Yuki clasped her hands as she looked around, obviously in awe of the place. It looked relatively normal, but with a yellow sky along with a few sounds that made everyone feel a bit uncomfortable.

"It's quite beautiful... don't you think?"

"Define beautiful," Akari muttered in obvious disgust. "There's no sun... No moon... No nothing that makes the sky soothing."

"Cheer up, Akari-chan!" Hinata exclaimed, slapping her on the back, effectively shoving her a bit. "All we need to do is just be optimistic!"

Akari laughed a little, obviously pained. "Y-Yeah..."

Yuki opened her mouth to say something but shook her head. "Well, Saiki-kun agrees with me right? Saiki-kun?"

The black witch looked over at her boyfriend with a smile. "Saiki-kun?"

Her smile vanished when she saw Saiki shaking, his eyes shut tightly.

"Saiki-kun, what's wrong?!"

Saiki instantly perked up, glancing at Yuki. "Yuki-chan, it's..."

Before he could say anymore, he collapsed, shivering even more so. "I-It's getting out of hand... It won't be long now..."

Yuki quickly rushed to his side. "Saiki-kun! Saiki-kun! Saiki-kun, what's going on?!"

"Yuki-chan... If my aura ever gets fierce, I want you to stay away as far as possible."

Yuki blinked twice. "What are you talking about? First off, Saiki-kun, your aura feels just fine!!"

"You said you draw your powers from the dark element..." Kurumi murmured, walking up, the blush on her face intensifying. "This place reeks of it..."

Nick took slight caution. "Saiki... Care to explain?"

Saiki sighed. "I've just about reached my capacity in this place... The only thing getting weak is my sense of self..."

Hinata blinked. "I don't get it, Saiki-kun. I've spent _weeks_ in snowstorms, but I've never once collapsed or anything..."

"I never once used my elemental energy... I've always kept it in focus for only emergencies..." Saiki shook his head. "But I've never been in an area with darkness in every corner... With Yuki-chan around though..."

He stopped, feeling the black witch's arms drape around his shoulders.

"No worries!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly, oblivious to the danger. "Now I see why Saiki-kun never once got angry at me when I lost control of my powers!"

Saiki perked up, blushing, and smiled. "Yuki-chan, arigatou..."

Helping him up, Yuki looked above and sighed.

"Still... Minna-san... We must remember the reason why we're here..."

"To stop Malefor? Kinda hard to forget..." Nick muttered, clenching his fists.

"Watch yourself, Nick-kun," Moriko stated in a warning voice. "If Saiki-kun's senses are weak in a place like this..."

"Quite the opposite, Moriko-chan," Saiki intervened, patting Yuki on the head ever so gently. "I said the only thing weakening was my sense of self... I suppose I'll get over it though..."

Akari blushed darkly. "Opposites attract... Is it a magical one or...?"

_...No. I really admire him, but still..._

"Well then, I don't need to be the one to say anything..." Kurumi started, putting her hands on her hips.

"Let's move on, shall we?"

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"Urgh..."

Yumi shivered, looking around. "I really don't like this..."

"Yes..." Akemi agreed, sighing. "This place must come from all the dark emotions within the human heart..."

"Anger, sorrow, hatred, envy, jealousy... Regret, perhaps?" Saiki looked around, feeling more and more uneasy by the second. "We've all experienced these feelings one time or another... It can't be helped."

Doremi gulped, and nodded. "Yes..."

"But that's okay... It's only natural, isn't it?" Momoko asked, smiling. "Deep down, we're all only human."

"True..." Riiko responded, nodding. "But it still just doesn't give off any good vibes..."

"Really? Nick-kun doesn't exactly give off positively bright vibes either..." Moriko stated, making both Nick and Akemi fluster.

"M-Moriko-chan, that's mean!!"

"Aw, but it's true isn't it Nick? You never think before rushing in... One of these days, you're going to regret not being patient." Moriko then sighed, shaking her head. "But, still... It's a good thing how nosy you are..."

Nick made a face. "Mori-chan... What do you mean by that?"

"You're a lucky one is just all," the jade witch shrugged and moved on.

Hazuki adjusted her glasses. "Moriko-chan... sure says confusing stuff."

"Actually she's right..." Saiki admitted, a little embarrassed. "To be successful, you need about three important things. A plan, a strategy, and a little bit of luck... Now that I think about it, we could consider ourselves lucky..."

"Ironic, isn't it Doremi?" Poppu asked, making her fluster.

"Does that really mean anything?" Nick couldn't help but ask, feeling a tad uncomfortable.

"Nick-kun, you always manage to pull through for everyone... Especially Yuki-chan... I just think it's luck that I even met her..."

Yuki flushed. "It was destiny, wasn't it?"

Her boyfriend folded his arms, huffing. "Some things are, some things aren't. It's destiny I was born with abilities that would kill me sooner or later... It's luck that I've managed to survive this far... It's destiny that we're here... But it's luck that we've been doing so well..."

"Prophecies. Gotta love 'em," Moriko stated, giggling a bit.

"But if we try to reach out..." Fami then started, blinking. "Would it be possible to prevent destiny?"

"I guess it depends..." Haruka answered, sighing. "Won't we need luck then?"

"Great. Now I'm startin' to question everything we've been goin' through so far..." Aiko groaned, scratching her head. "Destiny... Luck?"

"Should Hana-chan really worry...?" Hana wondered, placing her finger on her chin, confused. "Are we lucky...? Or not?"

"We shouldn't worry." Nick stated, stepping up. Saiki quickly perked up, a suspicious look in his eyes.

"I wonder about that..."

The green witch apprentice looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Nick-kun, you have yet to learn some decent patience... I can't blame you, but it certainly doesn't mean I'm alright with it..." the wizard stated, turning his head. "If you continue on, someone's bound to get hurt... Have you ever once paused to think about your actions?"

Nick flinched, understanding full well what Saiki was referring to.

"Just as I thought," Saiki deducted, snapping his fingers. "You're just someone who's taking their luck and strength for granted... or taking advantage of it."

"Saiki-kun!!" Yuki intervened, getting between. "You've just gone too far! I know Nick-kun doesn't really think before anything... But then again, I don't really do that either, do I?"

"_Precisely_, you have the same problem."

The black witch froze, looking down, a little hurt by what her boyfriend was saying. "So... There's something wrong with me?"

Saiki sighed. "Of course not, I was just saying..."

"You said too much."

With that, Yuki turned heel and continued forward, head hung low. Nick looked at Saiki a bit questionably.

"Saiki..."

He avoided his gaze, looking down with an unknown expression. _I'm always too hard on people... But, how else am I supposed to...?_

Nick just shook his head and followed after Yuki.

"Come on, let's just get going."

Everyone else shrugged and obeyed, with the exception of Akari who walked up to Saiki.

"Is this one of those strange human traits where you're really hard on the people you really like?"

Saiki flushed. "A-Akari-chan, that's..."

"You do mean well, right?"

"Yes, but... Sometimes, I just hate myself for that..." the wizard shook his head. "I wouldn't be surprised if Yuki-chan..."

_**If**__..._

_**Ta-thump.**_

He paused.

"...Then again, I wouldn't be able to take it, either."

Akari blinked. "What do you mean by that, huh?"

"If I put everything into words..." Saiki muttered, sighing. "Even I would be confused by its meaning..."

Suddenly he flinched.

"Saiki-kun...?"

"Akari-chan, I suggest we get moving..." he stated, looking about. _There's someone here... And I don't think it's the dark master..._

Akari nodded.

"Oh... Okay."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Wow..." Riiko noted. "This is a weird place..."

"Kinda brings back memories of the End of the World, doesn't it, Kellysi-chan?" Aiko wondered.

"PLEASE don't remind me of that..." Nick responded.

"What was this... End of the World?" Yuki wondered, as she hadn't been there when it had happened.

"It's kind of a long story, Yuki-chan," Nick explained. "It happened just a few hours before the time reset that happened when we defeated Morticon..."

(flashback)

_When the light cleared, all the Ojamajos (including the fallen Nick) had been transported to a mysterious cathedral high up in the purple-tinted sky. Many other smaller cathedral-style structures were floating around in random places._

"_Where are we?" Doremi asked._

"_I think it's some kind of spacial distortion that Morticon created," Fami noticed._

"_Hana-chan doesn't like this place! It's WAY too creepy!" Hana exclaimed, clinging to Doremi._

"_It's like Morticon twisted the world so he'd become more powerful!" Hazuki noted. She looked over towards Momoko, who was crying over Nick's dead body._

"_Is there any way we can stop him now?" Aiko asked._

"_I'm sure it might have been possible..." Onpu noted, turning towards Nick's lifeless body, "...if he was still alive."_

"_Nick... no..." Ichiyou stated, her eyes starting to tear up._

_Momoko just couldn't seem to stop crying. Poppu wanted to cry herself..._

_Just then, Momoko felt a mysterious presence nearby. She looked up from Nick's body and looked around._

"_What's up, Momo-chan?" Aiko asked._

"_I don't know..." Momoko stated. "It's like I just felt Nick's presence in the wind."_

"_You felt his presence?" Fami asked. "Could that mean he's still alive?"_

"_I'm not really sure," Momoko replied. "But I say we take this chance while we can. It's probably the only way we can save Nick."_

"_But how is that going to be possible?" Onpu inquired. "We can't use our magic to bring him back!"_

"_Wait a minute," Fami noted. "I remember something the Queen told me. There were these seven crystals that had the power to grant any wish. I bet that if we collect those crystals, we just may be able to bring Nick back!"_

"_Wait! Hana-chan's getting a voice from the Queen!" Hana exclaimed. "She's telling Hana-chan that Morticon's power flung the crystals across the world!"_

"_That means we'll have to split up in order to find the crystals in time!" Doremi responded. "It's our only chance!"_

"_All right," Momoko stated, standing up. "I'll be the leader of this group. Just like the last time. Let's MOVE OUT, everybody!"_

_With that, the Ojamajos split up and headed out towards the portals that had just opened up. Before Momoko had entered her own portal, she turned towards Haruka, Fami, and Ichiyou._

"_Watch over him for me," Momoko simply stated before entering her own portal._

(end flashback)

"Yeah, like that was real fun," Nick stated sarcastically. "I had to sit around while you girls had all the fun!!"

Yuki couldn't help but sweatdrop at that last statement. _I guess Nick-kun really does like a challenge..._

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"Ah. So the night elemental has a weakness after all," Malefor noted after listening into the Ojamajos' conversation. "This I could use to my advantage. I could just have him kill all of the others and then use his own overloaded power to free myself from this blasted prison."

Malefor turned to his apprentice. "You know what must be done."

The female responded by bowing respectfully. "Yes, Master. I will see it done."

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"Did Morticon really kill you, Nick-kun?" Akemi wondered.

"Almost," Nick responded. "The others went out to find the Majokai Crystals. They saved my life with those crystals."

Just then, the conversation was interrupted when they all noticed Saiki fall to his knees, clutching his head. Nick was the first to notice that Saiki's aura was pulsing like mad.

"What's wrong, Saiki-kun?" Nick wondered.

"I knew it..." Saiki stated, his head throbbing even worse than before. "That stupid dark energy... Yuki-chan, I want you... to run!! NOW!!"

"What?" Yuki wondered, but it was too late; Saiki had already began charging for Yuki, but Nick was over there in a flash, using the flat side of Hanyou Hikari's blade to stop Saiki's attack.

"Girls, this doesn't look good... something in the air's messing with Saiki's sense of reason! We've got to find a way to snap him out of it!!" Nick exclaimed.

Everyone else nodded, and had transformed in a matter of seconds.

Nick nodded towards Yuki, Momoko, and Kurumi, who understood what Nick was referring to. With a quick push, Nick knocked Saiki back a couple yards, and quickly rose into the air, following Yuki, Momoko, and Kurumi. They were all covered in a cocoon of light, coming out in their Purifier forms.

"_For one so brave for the sake of love... the Black Purifier of Courage, at your service!!"_

"_For one who never backs down in the face of challenge... the Green Purifier of Bravery, at your service!!"_

"_For one who would never betray her friends... the Gray Purifier of Loyalty, at your service!!"_

"_For one so truly touched by the power of emotion... the Yellow Purifier of Love, at your service!!"_

"All right, let's do this!!" Nick exclaimed, gesturing to Momoko, who quickly nodded, dashing forward and pushing Saiki away from Yuki, which gave Nick the leeway to charge forward and pin Saiki to the ground.

"Girls!! QUICKLY!!" Nick exclaimed. "I don't know how long I can hold him!!"

Momoko nodded, joining hands with Yuki and Kurumi.

"_Peruton petton pararira pon!!"_

"_Pururunu pikapikan chanchii!!"_

"_Puripuni pikipika chachaki!!"_

All three of them began glowing with a bright light.

"_PURIFICATION!!"_

With that, Saiki forced himself out of Nick's grip, only to be nailed by the three-way burst of Purifier energy.

When he fell to the ground, Yuki had already rushed up and caught him in her arms. The black witch apprentice also noticed that Saiki's rapidly pulsing aura had retracted to a bearable level.

"Saiki-kun?" Yuki asked, tears in her eyes.

"Yuki-chan... what just happened?" Saiki wondered, his short-term memory obviously being clouded by the dark energy.

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

The black witch blinked before smiling.

"Thank goodness!! Saiki-kun's okay!"

Saiki blinked twice, still confused before his eyes widened.

"It... It got out of control, didn't it?"

"What? Oh... Um..." Yuki stammered for a bit, desperately trying to think of a way to explain this in a way to prevent her boyfriend being eaten alive by guilt.

"Well... Of course not! You just conked out on us is all and..."

She was cut off when she felt his arms drape around her shoulders, pulling her into a deep hug.

"You're lying again, Yuki-chan." Saiki whispered, holding her close enough to feel her shortened breaths as well as quickened heartbeats.

Yuki frowned, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Saiki-kun, it isn't your fault, it's..."

"Yuki-chan, you have no idea. No matter how many times I think about it... The answer comes back, clearer than before."

"I don't understand..." Akari started, walking up. "Just how..."

"The Dark Master must of known..." the wizard responded, smirking slightly. "And since I'm an elemental... There's no stopping the power surge... I'll keep being a threat until I'm dead... I'm sorry, Yuki-chan."

Yuki quickly shook her head. "No! No way, Saiki-kun! I don't care what you do, I'm not going to let anyone take you from me! Never again..."

Saiki sighed deeply as he separated himself from Yuki, shaking his head. "That by far has to be the stupidest mistake you'll ever make..."

Nick huffed. "Isn't that a bit ironic...?"

Saiki instantly perked up, looking at Nick with a slight glare.

"What's that supposed to mean, Nick-kun?"

"Weren't Yuki-chan's powers unstable when you two first met?" Nick recalled, sighing. "You never gave up hope on Yuki-chan, but you give up hope on yourself... Isn't that irony for ya?"

"Nick..." Momoko started, getting a bit uneasy.

Saiki simply smirked and sighed.

"Figures you're the one to scold me for something like this, Nick-kun. As usual, you're quite slow when it comes to understanding the circumstances..."

Nick raised an eyebrow but the wizard quickly added, "That's usually a good thing, you know."

"So... Where are you coming from?"

"That..."

Saiki then winced, looking uneasy for a few moments. _It's starting up again..._

He quickly shook his head. _No! For Yuki-chan's sake... I have to keep it under control! Focus, Saiki, focus..._

_Click._

Saiki let out a sigh of relief. _Good... It's bearable for the time being..._

"Saiki-kun...?"

"Nan demo nai," he quickly replied, waving away Yuki's concerns. "I was just about to say..."

Noticing Nick tense up, Saiki just smiled.

"...Never mind. It was nothing important."

Yuki soon turned suspicious and hopped up.

"Saiki-kun, you've been acting strange ever since we came here... I know about the elemental thing... But..." she frowned.

"But... It feels like you're a different person entirely. I... I don't like it."

"What do you mean by that, Yuki-chan?" Doremi asked, a little confused.

"Doremi-chan, that's..."

"Yuki-chan."

"E-Eh?" Yuki froze, looking at Saiki with wide eyes, already pretty anxious.

"S-Saiki...kun?"

Saiki glanced at her, making her flinch, shivering under his gaze. He let out a light sigh.

"Yuki-chan, you're pretty much the same case."

The black witch blinked. "I-I... I _am_... Aren't I? So what...? Is it really that bad?"

Silence.

"Is it?"

He shook his head and continued forward, pretty much turning his back on her completely.

Kurumi blinked and glanced at Yuki, her fists clenching while she chewed on her lip.

"Yuki-chan..."

"I-It's only natural..." her look alike whispered, half to her, half to herself. "Saiki-kun's always hard on me... Strange..."

She coughed, blushing darkly. "I... I still haven't gotten use to it..."

"It's only natural..." Akemi echoed. "Yuki-chan, now you have me worrying anymore..."

"It can't be helped. We still need to keep our eyes on Saiki-kun... Elemental, remember?" Moriko waved her finger. "If that was how he is when his powers got a little out of control, imagine if... If..."

Everyone was silent.

"If... Malefor turned his dark energy to the max..." Nick muttered. "I highly doubt Saiki-kun would be able to keep anything in check..."

"Actually, more likely he would..." Momoko stopped seeing the horrified look on Yuki's face.

"Saiki-kun... would never be able to... In the end, his life could get shortened... Or..."

"Or worse..." Akari finished, her eyes widening with shock. "I had no idea our powers could be so deadly... N-Now... I'm _afraid_..."

"N-No worries, Akari-chan..." Hinata stammered, laughing a bit. "This is only because, well..."

"Saiki-kun doesn't deserve this."

"Huh?"

All stared at Yuki who seemed both angry and determined.

"Saiki-kun has never done anything with ill intentions... He... He's never even thought of doing anything for himself before! It's not fair... Why can't I...?" She shut her eyes tightly.

"Why can't _I_ be the one to suffer...? Saiki-kun, my Saiki-kun..."

Her boyfriend's smile flashed in her mind. All she wanted was for him to smile... Was that so wrong?

"It's good to care." Ichiyou noted. "But... Moriko-chan's right. We need to keep an eye out..."

"You never know..." Yumi added, nodding.

Nick then looked ahead, an odd glimmer in his eye.

_If that's really the case... I may have to keep a close eye on Saiki..._

He bit his lip.

_Even... if that means restraining Yuki-chan._

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Saiki winced again, holding his forehead.

_This is strange... A power increase in this place is normal... But a burst of it? Maybe..._

_**Throb.**_

He stopped, his head beginning to throb, making him feel dizzy all over again.

_N-No... I can't let it..._

"Saiki-kun!"

Saiki perked up automatically. "Yuki-chan..."

He then frowned deeply and stayed silent, only for his head to begin throbbing again, this time worse than before. Saiki clenched his fist.

_Whoever's doing this..._

"_Isn't it amazing? The power..."_

The wizard's coal eyes widened.

_N-No... Yuki-chan..._

"_Hmph."_

Saiki quickly shook his head. _Who are you...?_

"Saiki-kun?"

Turning around, his voice grew barely below a whisper.

"Yuki-chan..."

Meeting his girlfriend's confused brown eyes, he frowned.

_It's about to start..._

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Are you sure they'll be all right?" Momoko wondered.

"Just trust them, okay, Momoko?" Nick responded. "They've pulled each other out of so many sticky situations before. This time's no different."

Momoko nodded, whole-heartedly agreeing with her boyfriend.

Suddenly, Cyndi tensed up. "Those shadows are back..."

Cyndi's statement was true, for at that very moment, hundreds of the shadow creatures from before popped up.

"Man, don't these freakos ever give up?!" Moriko exclaimed, already getting into the action by firing off a Sakura Scatter that mowed through a whole row of the creatures.

Poppu noticed that there were a lot of lights in the area. "Perfect," Poppu stated, holding her hands out and drawing on the electrical energy around her.

"All right, Doremi, time to show you how I do energy ripples! _Discharge!!_"

With that, Poppu threw her arms outward, dispelling all the energy she'd collected in an electric energy ripple that vaporized a good number of the shadow creatures.

The battle seemed to drag on longer than it should have, since for every shadow that was vaporized, ten more seemed to join the battle. Before long, the Ojamajos were easily getting overwhelmed.

"There's too many of them!!" Doremi exclaimed.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Poppu shot back.

"Cyndi-chan, is there any way we can stop these things?" Nick asked.

"If I knew, Nick-kun, I would have stopped them long ago!!" Cyndi replied, struggling against her captor's grip...

...and suddenly, she was free.

Nick was about to backhand his own captor, but was beat to the punch by a burst of golden energy that blew the shadow creature away.

Before anyone knew what was happening, all of the creatures that had been surrounding the Ojamajos had been vaporized.

"What the heck just happened?" Aiko wondered.

"Wait a minute... who is that?" Momoko inquired, pointing to someone who was standing at the top of a nearby mesa.

Nick took a good look at the new arrival. She appeared to be about Momoko's age, give or take a few months. She had long, flowing emerald hair that descended to about her waist. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of cerulean blue. However, the most peculiar thing about this new arrival was the armor she was wearing. It was a form-fitting suit of armor that seemed to be crafted out of pure gold itself. She was also holding a staff in her right hand. At the tip of the staff was the same mysterious symbol that her armor was modeled after.

"Why don't you boys try me on for size?" the new girl stated, giving a cute wink. Not wasting any time, she hopped down from the mesa and onto the battlefield, spinning her staff around both of her hands quite effortlessly.

The instant she shifted into battle stance, more shadow creatures charged for her.

Smiling brightly, she charged for the incoming shadows, deftly swinging her staff and dispatching one shadow after another.

Avoiding one attack and easily countering another, she performed a graceful backflip over a horde of shadows, sweeping her staff towards them as she landed. This created an energy wave that vaporized a hefty chunk of shadows.

By this time, the shadows were attacking back at the new arrival, but she effortlessly dodged each attempted strike.

"Oh, please. Is that the best you've got?" she taunted, dispatching more shadows with a simple flick of her staff.

Kicking up a nearby cliff face, she spun her staff, creating balls of energy in front of her.

"_Gold Tracker!!"_ she exclaimed, launching the spheres of energy she'd just created. Each sphere locked onto its target and quickly and mercilessly vaporized the shadows.

Landing quite gracefully on the ground in front of another horde of shadow creatures, she brought her staff above her head.

"Naughty, naughty, dark boys," she teased. _"Gold Blitz!!"_

Grinning cutely, she slammed her staff into the ground in front of her, and this created waves of gold energy that ripped forward, creating deep trenches in the ground. In a single second, more shadows had been vaporized.

"Don't even think of running away," she teased. "I'm not done with you yet."

Just then, a much larger creature appeared behind her. Nick was about to warn the new girl, but she simply waved her finger, turned around, and swung her staff in an upwards arc, easily knocking the creature into the air.

Still grinning, the new girl leaped into the air and hammered at the large shadow with various strikes before slamming her staff into its head, knocking the creature down to the ground.

On her way down, she slashed right through the middle of the shadow creature, quickly obliterating it.

"All right, who else wants to be next?" she teased. Still more shadows stepped up.

She responded to this by charging forward and displaying some amazingly impressive martial arts skills. Even Nick was completely floored by such a display, and THAT'S saying something!

After a while of this, she hopped back towards the mesa she'd arrive on, holding her staff into the air. The symbol at its tip opened, and gold energy began to gather towards it.

"All right, now eat this!! _Gold Rush!!_" she exclaimed, holding her now-glowing staff towards the shadows. Almost instantly, thousands of golden energy beams poured out from the staff and instantly obliterated the remaining shadows.

Once the battlefield was calm again, the new girl turned towards Nick and the Ojamajos, who were staring at her in complete and utter surprise.

Nick could only manage to say one thing... "WHOA."

"I see you're impressed," the new girl replied. "I've gotta get going now. But for the future, you can call me Marie."

With that, Marie leapt into the sky, disappearing from sight.

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"What. The. HECK?!"

Moriko waved her arms like crazy, obviously throwing a fit.

"What just happened?! All of a sudden, some girl we NEVER met just waltz in on us, takes care of the creatures and just left us with only her NAME?! DID I MISS SOMETHING?!"

"True. It's not everyday some random chick saves you from a bunch of who-knows-what..." Kurumi mused, raising an eyebrow.

Doremi blinked, pondering a bit. "Haven't I heard the name 'Marie' somewhere before...?"

"Eh," Poppu shrugged. "I'm sure you're just imagining it."

The pink witch frowned and sighed. "Maybe..."

"Moriko-chan, please calm down..." Akemi muttered, blushing.

"Mou Akemi-chan! I just wish this Marie girl could of at least explained why she was here to begin with!" Moriko groaned. "But... I suppose I should just put it behind me... But now we're in her debt... Doesn't that bother you?!"

"A little..." Momoko admitted, laughing a bit. "But still..."

"Kinda sad we didn't get to thank her..." Onpu noted, giggling. "I just wonder..."

"...Who she was," Nick finished. "There's something mysterious about her...?"

"Oh, her? Nah... Ya think?" Kurumi sighed heavily. "Give me a break... The way she was dressed... There was something mysterious alright..."

"Or just plain weird," Aiko huffed, folding her arms.

Riiko smiled a bit.

"But, still..."

"Riiko-chan..." Nick started. "This adventure just keeps getting weirder and weirder."

Suddenly he heard a high-pitched yelp.

"Huh? Yuki-chan?"

The green witch apprentice instantly perked up and looked towards the black witch who currently held an unconscious Saiki in her arms, looking even more concerned than normal.

"What happened?" Nick asked, a little cautious. Yuki sighed.

"Saiki-kun lost it... Nick-kun, his condition's been getting worse and worse..."

Akari frowned. "I feel bad about this... If only..."

"Don't worry about it Akari-chan, Saiki-kun's _mine_, remember that!" Yuki then sighed.

_But now that I think about it... Saiki-kun usually in trouble for my sake... If he wasn't in love with me... Wouldn't he be safer? How selfless... I just now realized that._

"Looks like Saiki-kun's our own personal timer." Moriko sighed, walking up. "We better stop Malefor soon... Before _his_ time runs out."

Yuki nodded. "Yeah..."

_Saiki-kun..._

"Saiki-kun..." she lightly shook her boyfriend's shoulders. "Saiki-kun..."

She bit her lip when she felt him tremble a bit before his eyes open.

"Yuki-chan..."

"This time you really did conk out on us... Isn't it ironic how you've been worrying me lately?" Yuki smiled, helping her boyfriend up before turning to Nick.

"Nick-kun..."

Kurumi walked up.

"Yuki-chan..."

The black witch puffed her cheeks and hmphed before turning to Saiki. "Ne, Saiki-kun..."

_If he wasn't in love with me..._

Saiki turned to his girlfriend, a little curious.

"Yes Yuki-chan?"

_...Would I be able to take it, or accept it?_

Yuki sighed. "...It's nothing."

_All for Saiki-kun's sake..._

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"So some girl named Marie showed up and saved you guys?"

Nick nodded, sighing. Yuki frowned, looking pained.

"And yet... I missed ALL that?!"

"No worries Yuki-chan." Haruka stated, chuckling. "We were a little freaked..."

"But face it," Ichiyou laughed. "Weird stuff happening to us is pretty normal."

"Still, I wonder about this Marie-chan..." Saiki pondered. "I wonder what business she has here... Moreover why she was carrying a staff around if what you said was true... Staffs are pretty much my great-_great_ grandfather's time..."

"Are they really that ancient?" Doremi wondered, a little confused. "Usually in the Human World fairy tales, that's what they use..."

"That's probably how long ago it was," Saiki sighed, now a bit annoyed. "The only thing good about the Human World is often the food... Most humans nowadays don't even believe in magic..."

Hazuki nodded, adjusting her glasses. "True... Some people even fear it..."

Yuki sighed. "Wasn't there a time where they just burned random people because they believed that they were magic users...?"

"They certainly didn't get lucky... Most of the people sacrificed were just ordinary people..." Saiki shook his head. "Times have changed, but still..."

"We sure get off-topic easily..." Riiko observed, giggling a bit. "But it's normal... I suppose."

"Define normal," Yumi laughed, sighing. "It appears Kellysi-chan here just loves getting mixed up into trouble."

"Ah, I knew that since we were kids!" Momoko giggled. "It's always been that case."

Nick flustered. "So help me..."

"Eh, I always get mixed up with people with trouble following them around." Saiki shrugged. "First Onii-chan, now Yuki-chan... It's rather interesting..."

"Hm," Doremi smuggled a laugh. "Akatsuki-kun was like that...?"

Saiki blushed, thinking about his dear older brother before shaking his head. "In our relationship... He was always the first to make a move... Still, I always worried."

"That sounds just like you," Kurumi giggled. "I say..."

Saiki then instantly perked up, looking around. _What was that...?_

"Saiki-kun, something wrong?" Yuki asked, almost immediately on the offensive.

"...I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Ya have a bad feeling about _everything_..." Aiko huffed, folding her arms. "Get to the point."

Hinata blinked.

"Does it have something to do..."

"I'm afraid so..." Saiki winced, holding his head before heaving. "What are they planning to do anyway...?"

Yuki gulped.

_Do they... want to take Saiki-kun from me?_

Nick then flinched, realizing something. _If they know about his elemental powers... They would know how it increases at an alarming rate... Almost to the point where he loses it..._

_...Still, what are they..._

He stopped, his eyes widening.

_...Of course._

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"COULD SOMEONE TELL ME WHO THAT WAS?!" Malefor exclaimed after seeing what Marie had just done to his shadow army. "WHO IS THIS CLICHED UPSTART?!"

"Settle, Master," the mysterious female voice replied. "You remember the legends, right?"

"The legends? How can she be from these legends? WHO IN THE HELL CARRIES A STAFF ANYMORE?!" Malefor shouted.

"Wait..." the female voice noted. "It may have been her..."

"Her? Who is..."

At that point, Malefor understood.

"Ah... Marie, the Gold Ranger, is back."

We pan upwards and see many mysterious objects and figures obscured by the shadows.

"Hmm... but she has no idea what she is up against this time. No idea at all."

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Nick took a good look at the path ahead. It split into two separate pathways. The path to the left held a lot of those grinding rails like you'd see in a skateboarding game. The second path appeared to twist down a winding railroad.

"So... which path do we take?" Akemi asked.

"That should be obvious," Nick replied, tossing Doremi and Momoko two crystals of their respective color. Once they had the crystals in their grip, they instantly transformed into the Pink Storm and Wind Beacon airboards, respectively.

Nick threw his own crystal into the air and leaped, coming down on his Ojamajo Star airboard.

Aiko flustered at this. "You still HAVE that old thing, Kellysi-chan?"

"Lily-chan did say I could keep it," Nick replied, referring to one of his friends from the mysterious Floating Continent.

"Okay. We'll search the rail path. You guys check out that side, and if you run into any trouble, let us know, okay?" Nick explained, to which the others nodded.

With that said, they split into their teams and headed down their respective paths. Unbeknownst to all of them, they were being watched.

"They are progressing quite well. This is definitely news for the master."

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"Wow," Doremi noted as the trio began flying over what appeared to be molten lava. "NOW I'm glad these things can float."

"I remember what you always said when Mai-chan started babbling about its technology," Momoko responded. "You always used to cut her off and say 'It floats, and that's good enough for me', right?"

Doremi blushed at this. "You had to bring that up, didn't you?"

"Do you still remember your first race with her, Nick?" Momoko asked.

"_So, you want to challenge me?" Lily stated._

"_Ready when you are," Nick challenged as the two racers tensed up._

_Without a second of warning, both Nick and Lily shot off like bullets, nearly knocking the others to the ground._

"_Why are they going so fast? And why is Hana-chan dizzy?" Hana asked, holding her head._

"_We'd better catch up with them!" Momoko exclaimed as the others began charging after the two racers._

_Lily performed a graceful spin attack with Gold Streak, but Nick deftly maneuvered Ojamajo Star out of harm's way. The emerald witch apprentice retaliated with a leaping lunge attack, but Lily raised her arms and blocked the strike._

"_I see you're pretty good," Lily had to admit._

"_Guess I just naturally picked up the talent," Nick replied, always modest about his abilities._

"_I think it's time I got serious," Lily stated, focusing and speeding up, shooting far ahead of Nick._

_However, what Lily didn't notice was that her acceleration had left a trail of air that Nick leapt onto, riding the turbulence caused by Lily's instant acceleration._

_Needless to say, once Nick passed her, Lily was pretty surprised._

"_What?!"_

"_Biggest rule of racing, Lily-chan: observe the front and watch your back," Nick stated, chuckling as he sped up himself._

_Lily only smirked, a mysterious amulet on her wrist glowing with a silver light. "Now I'm serious."_

_Nick suddenly felt a mysterious magical pressure that he'd never felt before. He looked behind him, only to see Lily for a split second before she disappeared, and was suddenly in front of Nick._

_The force of Lily's sudden attack knocked Nick straight off of the Ojamajo Star and right to the ground._

"_Pretty good for your first race," Lily stated before zooming off._

_Nick watched as Lily's retreating form became smaller and smaller._

"_Something tells me we're in for a rough ride..."_

"How could I forget that?" Nick responded. "Especially considering what happened after that..."

"HEY, GUYS!!"

Nick perked up, looking to his left. There was Marie again, riding on top of her staff much like Nick was riding his airboard.

"Long time, no see, huh?" Marie teased.

"Something to that effect," Nick responded. "Hey, I just wanted to thank you for bailing us out back there. Who knows what might have happened if you hadn't shown up..."

"It's just what I do," Marie responded.

"Say, Marie-chan?" Doremi wondered. "How long have you had those powers of yours?"

"Oh, this old thing?" Marie noted, motioning towards her staff. "To tell the truth, I honestly have no idea. I've had this thing for as long as I can remember, and I spent most of my teenage years harnessing these powers in secret. I mean, who would believe that I had command over the power of light?"

"Very good point," Nick stated.

"I heard Malefor might be hiding out here," Marie noted. "And if you guys are here, that must mean you're trying to stop him. If you ever need my help, just ask, okay? I'll be there just as soon as I can."

"You got it," Momoko replied.

Marie gave a cute wink before zooming off.

"Interesting girl," Doremi noted.

"No kidding," Momoko replied.

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"My dear. Is _it_ ready?" Malefor asked.

"Yes, master," the mysterious female voice responded. "It is working at one hundred percent efficiency."

"Good. Soon, they will know fear. As will that Gold Ranger girl."

With that, Malefor turned towards four dragon-like creatures.

"Well, well, Ignitus. Your time is running out. Either you tell me where that protégé of yours is, or you will all pay the price."

The red dragon that had just been addressed simply snorted. "Torture me all you want, Malefor. You will get nothing from me or the others."

"Hmph," Malefor grunted. "Very well. But mark my words, you will talk sooner or later."

Malefor gazed at the crystal ball he was using to observe the Ojamajos. "Maybe if you won't spill your secrets... I can get them to talk."

This caught Ignitus' attention. "Not them, Malefor! They have nothing to do with this!!"

"Never you mind, Ignitus. They have been undermining my plans for far too long, now. Remember what I said... I will get you to talk. One way or another. You and the other Guardians would do well to keep that in mind."

Malefor focused on Saiki. "All right, then. It is time for that night elemental to cross over to my side. Just a little more, and he will be all mine."

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"Huh?"

Saiki stopped, looking around. "Was someone...?"

_I don't like this... Not one bit._

"Saiki-kun?"

"Oh... Yuki-chan..." The wizard flinched, forcing a slight smile. "Do you, ah... Do you need something, Yuki-chan?"

Yuki blushed, folding her arms behind her back, trying to look as casual as possible. "Can I... Er..." Shaking her head, she looked at her boyfriend with sparkling brown eyes.

"Saiki-kun... Can I ask you something?"

Saiki looked surprised for a moment but nodded.

"Yes... What is it?"

The black witch looked down. "Ne Saiki-kun... About... About your elemental energy..."

He froze. _Of course..._

"I'm sorry Yuki-chan." he whispered, clenching his fists.

"Huh? You don't need to be! Cause lately I've been asking myself if... If Saiki-kun didn't like me... Wouldn't he be safer? The answer's obvious, isn't it?" Yuki bit her lip.

"You wouldn't be in danger... If I didn't always selfishly drag you along... My problems, my issues... I always rely on you, and that isn't very fair at all."

Hearing this, Saiki perked up, staring at her in confusion.

"Yuki-chan..."

"Either way... I can't help it now... So there's just one thing you need to know, Saiki-kun..."

Yuki took a deep breath.

"I... I believe in you."

The wizard's eyes widened as she continued.

"Whenever my power got out of control... You were always there to help me, and..."

She smiled.

"Nick-kun once said that it's how you use that power that counts... Drawing power from the dark element... Using dark magic... It doesn't make you a bad person. It's your intentions that matter... I think when Nick-kun said that... It made me feel pretty hopeful for once... Because I only use that magic to protect you..." Yuki blushed.

"A-And... That's what I really wanted to say!! Saiki-kun, even now, when you're in trouble, you still think of other people... Have you ever once thought of yourself before...? If you have, that must of been a really long time ago! You're really kind, Saiki-kun..."

She then realized something.

"And... Hey... You're pretty noble too, even with your royal blood... A prince always thinks of his people right? Is that where you get it from?"

Saiki blushed himself and looked away.

"Yuki-chan..."

The black witch giggled.

_Oh, Saiki-kun..._

"You get flustered so easily... It's so cute! Saiki-kun, just remember that I won't give up on you, so don't give up on yourself!!" Yuki winked.

"All you gotta do is remember what counts, is that so hard?"

"It's not very easy... Yuki-chan." Saiki smiled slightly. "I'll lose it one way or another... It can't be helped."

"Aw Saiki-kun... You're doubting yourself already!" His girlfriend just sighed. "Just remember though... No matter what... I love you. I always have and I always will. Strange, at first you usually treated me like a sister or something..."

The younger prince just groaned. "That's..."

"No matter."

"Hm?"

Yuki waved her finger. "No matter what you do, no matter what you say. Saiki-kun will always be Saiki-kun... It can't be helped after all, right?"

His eyelids lowered.

_Yuki-chan..._

The black witch leaned over and kissed his cheek, making him fluster.

"Saiki-kun... Aishiteru."

"Yuki-chan..."

"OI!!" Aiko's voice rang out. "Too much of Kellysi-chan and Momo-chan!"

"Oh, give them a break." Moriko huffed, obiviously annoyed.

Yuki laughed. "Ai-chan never changes!"

"You don't either..." Saiki mumbled without a second thought. His girlfriend looked surprised but smiled sadly.

"Is that a bad thing, Saiki-kun dearest?"

Saiki shook his head. "No... Not at all."

"I'm really glad!! After everything... It's like a dream for you to say that... I-I mean... uhh..."

The wizard just smiled.

_She's always been the same, and... and even I haven't changed all that much either, really..._

His smile vanished.

_...What am I thinking? I can't run from what's fated to happen... But... Yuki-chan..._

He winced.

_It's starting again..._

"Saiki-kun?"

"Huh?"

With that, Saiki met his girlfriend's gaze, noting the concern in her eyes.

"...It's nothing."

Yuki nodded, though still a bit suspicious.

"If you say so..."

Kurumi sighed at the sight.

_It's kinda sad... Now that I think about it..._

"Ne... Akari-chan... You command the light element right?"

Akari blushed and shook her head. "I-I may be a light elemental but... But I don't know much about my powers..."

"That's right!" Hinata gasped, almost surprised. "You haven't really used your powers all that much have you, Akari-chan?"

"N-No..."

Akemi blushed and smiled, walking up.

"No worries, I'm sure you'll be great. Even the most unlikely person can be quite powerful..."

Akari blinked, flushed, and stammered. "T-Thank you... Akemi-chan..."

"Aww! That's my Akemi-chan!!" Moriko squealed, glomping the crystal witch. "You never cease to make me proud you know, Akemi-chan dear!"

Akemi flustered. "M-Moriko-chan!"

"You're so cute, Akemi-chan..." the jade witch purred, rubbing her cheek against her flushed friend's. "So adorable... Kawaii, kawaii!"

The crystal witch blinked, still blushing like crazy.

_S-She's so flattering... That Moriko-chan!! She may have a nasty temper, but she always... Urk! S-She never changes..._

Haruka only laughed at the sight. "I see they're chummy... As usual."

Glancing at Ichiyou who simply smiled back, she blushed slightly before smiling brightly herself.

_...As usual, huh?_

"Hey... Um, guys?"

"Huh?"

All stared at Cyndi, who seemed to look a little uneasy.

"Um... That Saiki guy... He's a night elemental, isn't he?"

"You didn't know?" Hana wondered, a bit confused. "Hana-chan thought you knew..."

"He is." Kurumi answered simply, raising an eyebrow, now on the defensive. "What about it?"

"Sorry about that Cyndi-chan, we must of forgotten to mention that..." Hazuki apologized bashfully, fiddling with her fingers.

Onpu shrugged. "We just... figured."

"Huh..." Cyndi sighed. "If that's the case... I wonder why he's still hanging around with us..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fami questioned, a bit confused.

"And you want an answer? It's the girl who looks like me." Kurumi huffed, blushing a bit. "You know, Shinoya Yuki-chan?"

"Wow, talk about 'friends with benefits'." Cyndi noted, her eyebrows raising.

Everyone looked confused at this, while Kurumi bit her lip, obviously not liking the sound of the former dragon's voice.

"Cyndi-chan..."

"Sorry, but it's just interesting. He's a good guy... I know _that_... But you should know... Someone like Yuki-chan could give his power an extra jolt. Thing is, elementals can also gain power from a certain aura surrounding a person... But those elementals are a bit special, so..." Cyndi paused, seeing the thoughtful looks on Hinata's and Akari's faces.

"...What's up you two?"

"Thing is, Saiki-kun..." Akari started, stammering. "He never, ah..."

"...He never mentioned that." Hinata finished, sighing.

Akari bit her lip.

_Why would Saiki-kun leave something like that out... Did he not know?_

"Poor him... Probably didn't want his girlfriend to think he was taking advantage of her..."

She perked up, blushing.

_That just might be it..._

"Ooh, what are you talking about, anyway?!" Kurumi pouted, shaking her arms like crazy. "S-Saiki-kun's not selfish or _anything_ like that!!"

"I never said he was..." Cyndi smiled a bit. "...You like him, Kurumi-chan?"

The model flinched.

_So much for getting over my crush..._

"...So what?"

Poppu shook her head. "What DO you mean anyway, Cyndi-chan?"

"I mean IF the dark master knew... It could be a lot of trouble... I say we keep an eye on him. I wouldn't be surprised if he betrayed us anytime soon..." Moriko stared at Cyndi as if she was crazy.

"..._Saiki-kun_? You serious?"

Cyndi stared back in confusion.

"What?"

"W-Well... It's just..." Riiko started, a bit nervously.

"I may not know him that well... But well enough that he has a pretty solid relationship with Yuki-chan." Yumi confirmed, folding her arms and nodded.

"T-That and well... He's a bit of a worrier... Also..." Akemi laughed a bit. "He'd _never_ turn his back on Yuki-chan..."

_He really likes her... Even I notice quite easily... I even envy them a bit._

"Saiki-kun's like that..." Kurumi sighed, flustering a bit. "He wouldn't..."

Cyndi frowned, but smiled.

"...Oh well. We'll see soon enough."

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"SO... How do you think Nick-kun, Momo-chan, and Doremi-chan are doing?"

"Who knows?"

Saiki winced again, holding his head.

_D-Darn it... Every passing moment... It gets worse... Soon enough... Huh?_

He perked up, his eyes blank.

Yuki, on the other hand, didn't appear to notice. "Well I just hope they're okay... Right Saiki-kun? Saiki-kun...?"

Silence.

Yuki blinked, confused.

"Ne Saiki-kun... Something wrong? Saiki-kun? Sai... _Aah_!!"

In one swift and unexpected movement, his hand was at her throat, squeezing her windpipe in the same way Nick had when he was under the dark influence.

"S-Saiki-kun... What are you... It hurts!!"

The others quickly noticed.

"What are you doing, Saiki-kun?!" Moriko called out, clearly surprised. "That's your _girlfriend_ you're strangling right now!!"

"See, I knew he couldn't be trusted!!" Cyndi hissed. "Don't worry Yuki-chan, we're..."

"_NO_!!"

"Huh?" Cyndi stopped, clearly confused as her gaze was set on the black witch, eyes blurred with tears but still serious.

"I-If you lay even one FINGER on Saiki-kun... I'll never forgive you!!" she choked out, grasping the grip on her throat. "Don't you _dare_ hurt him!!"

Cyndi blinked, surprised.

"But... Why...?"

"S-Saiki-kun..." Yuki whimpered, looking down at her boyfriend's cold face before shutting her eyes. "I-It's me, Yuki... Please... _stop_..."

Saiki seemed to look surprised before he turned dazed, his hand slipping off her neck...

...As he collapsed, unconscious.

"Saiki-kun!!" she exclaimed before coughing terribly to revive herself. "S-Saiki-kun..."

The black witch quickly crawled over Saiki, lightly shaking his shoulder.

"Saiki-kun... Saiki-kun..."

Cyndi's breath quickened as the boy's eyes fluttered open, his vision focusing on his girlfriend's concerned gaze.

"Yuki-chan..."

Yuki blinked but shyly smiled.

"...You okay?"

Cyndi blinked twice, surprised, but then simply smiled at the sight.

_Huh... She really does love him..._

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Malefor seethed; he certainly didn't look too happy. "I almost had him... but that darned twilight girl keeps interfering with my plans!"

"If I may make a suggestion, Master," the female voice responded. "If we capture the twilight girl, there will be nothing to stop the night elemental from succumbing to your power."

Malefor thought about this for a moment. "That's perfect!! With nothing to restrain his powers, he will become my willing pawn with enough persuasion. How should we go about this?"

The female voice laughed spryly. "Oh, you will love this, Master."

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Finally, Nick, Momoko, and Doremi reached the end of the molten path and dismounted from their airboards.

"Well, that was fun," Doremi noted. "I haven't actually used that thing in a while."

"You must feel lucky that Nick taught you all those advanced techniques, huh?" Momoko teased.

Doremi flustered at this. "I told you, Momo-chan, the only time I ever fell off of my board was because Poppu was pulling on it!"

Momoko giggled, turning to Nick, only to notice that he had just fainted.

"AGAIN?!" Doremi exclaimed. "What is with these fainting spells of his?!"

"Relax, Doremi-chan," Momoko responded, holding Nick close to her. "I'm sure the Chronicler has his reasons."

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"_All right, back here again," Nick noted after waking up back in the Temple of Dreams. "Okay, Chronicler, what is it this time? I thought you've already taught me all the elements I need to know!"_

"_There is one more element you have not yet learned," a new voice interjected. "I will help you on that front."_

"_Okay, so you apparently know that I've been training with the Chronicler," Nick stated. "Would you mind explaining who you are?"_

_With that, a gigantic red dragon stepped out from the shadows. "I am Ignitus, the first of the Guardian Dragons and a master of the element of fire."_

"_All right, then," Nick wondered. "So, what else do I need to know about this element?"_

"_Head into the temple, and you will know," Ignitus stated, the nearby doorway opening._

_Shrugging it off, Nick decided to take the advice of Ignitus and enter the door._

_Just as all the other times he'd come to the Temple of Dreams, more of the familiar shadow creatures surrounded him._

'_Use the power of fire,' the voice of Ignitus instructed. 'Only fire can stop these lonely souls.'_

_Nick nodded, transforming his wand into Hanyou Hikari and swinging it in a massive arc above him, a wave of fire traveling along Hanyou Hikari's path._

"_Take this, freaks!! GREAT AETHER!!" Nick exclaimed, wailing on the shadows with a flurry of punches, kicks, and fiery sword slashes before holding the sword above him and then bringing it down, slamming all of the shadow creatures to the ground below, vaporizing the shadows in a fiery explosion._

_Once Nick had landed safely back on the ground, he looked curiously at Hanyou Hikari. "Whoa. Did I do THAT?"_

'_And you can do so much more with the power of fire,' Ignitus stated. 'Go on, and you will learn how to use this power to your advantage.'_

_Nick nodded, heading down the path._

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"_SNAP, TOBIUME!!"_ Yuki exclaimed as she released Tobiume and faced down someone who had just grabbed Saiki. The only known feature about her was that she was a girl; everything else about her was shrouded by the shadows.

"Hey, you! Stand still!" Yuki exclaimed, swinging Tobiume at the mystery girl to no avail.

The mystery girl let go of Saiki and continued to fly around before settling down next to Yuki's boyfriend. The black witch apprentice immediately spun around.

"I SAID STAND STILL!!" Yuki shouted, holding her wrist towards the girl and unleashing a beam of light from it that trapped the girl in a golden, glass star. Yuki immediately zipped forward and started slashing at the girl with Tobiume at random intervals before bringing Tobiume back and driving it into the glass star, shattering it and sending the mystery girl crashing into a nearby wall.

"Ugh... you're good," the girl responded. "But, I guess if you really love that boy so much, I should probably take you instead."

With that, the girl snapped her fingers, and just like that, Yuki had disappeared.

"YUKI-CHAN!!" Hinata exclaimed. "You'd better give my _tomodachi_ back, you little freak, or you're going to learn the worst thing about getting a cold sore!!"

Hinata held her hands out to back up her threat, snow energy flowing around them.

"Yeah, you'd better bring Saiki-kun's wife back RIGHT NOW!!" Akari exclaimed, joining Hinata with her fists glowing a bright yellow.

"Sorry, girls," the mystery girl taunted, "but you'll have to do better than that to faze me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a delivery to make."

With that, she disappeared, leaving the Ojamajos very confused.

"Who the heck was that?!" Aiko exclaimed.

Kurumi said nothing, having noticed that a powerful dark aura was beginning to surround Saiki.

"Um... Ai-chan, I think we've got bigger problems than that," Kurumi stated, pointing towards Saiki.

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"_Urgh_..."

Yuki's eyes fluttered open as she struggled to get up. "What... What just happened?"

Suddenly she realized something, snapping up.

"Wait, where's Saiki-kun?!"

"Isn't that interesting? Even in your current condition, you're thinking about _him_..."

Yuki perked up at the voice and growled.

"You again..."

The girl smirked, lying against a nearby wall behind Yuki.

"What do you want, anyway?!" the black witch snapped, getting straight to the point. "And where's _my_ Saiki-kun?!"

"I'm sorry... But in a few short moments he won't be, as you say, _yours_." She hmphed, folding her arms. "I just need to make sure you don't interrupt the master's plans again, Shinoya."

Yuki bit her lip.

"What do you mean by that, huh?"

A light laugh.

"You'll soon see for yourself..."

"Enough games!!" the black witch exclaimed, charging, only for her to disappear and reappear out of her reach.

"No need to go crazy, Shinoya."

"Where's Saiki-kun?!" she demanded, far above joking status. "What have you done to him?!"

"Oh, just a little boost. Boy should thank me." the mystery girl chuckled. "Soon... He'll belong to the dark master and that will be that. Even you, Shinoya, will have no more influence over him."

Yuki froze, letting the words sink in.

_What could she possibly..._

Her eyes widened in horror.

_No... Anyone but Saiki-kun... I don't... want him to be taken from me..._

"You couldn't possibly mean that!! Saiki-kun will always be Saiki-kun, and you could never change that!!"

She clenched her fists.

"A-And I can't... let anyone harm him... Cause... As I said before, no matter what you do, he will still be Saiki-kun won't he?"

The mystery girl smirked.

"_Won't he_?!"

"You're plotting out your own demise... Besides, it's destiny." she shook her head.

"No matter what you think, little twilight girl, that night elemental will become a pawn of the master's... It's his fate."

Yuki blinked and shook her head in disbelief. "No! I don't believe you! Saiki-kun will ALWAYS be Saiki-kun!! And I'll go prove that... _right now_!!"

Just as she turned, the black witch and then pulled back, slamming against the wall as well-concentrated dark energy held her in place.

"W-What the?! Let me go lady!!"

"Ah, ah. I can't possibly let you interfere with your so-called beloved." the girl replied, waving her finger. "I need you to stay still until he no longer recognizes you."

Yuki's eyes widened.

_Until Saiki-kun no longer recognizes me? That wouldn't happen... S-Saiki-kun will always be Saiki-kun... my Saiki-kun... My..._

Her eyelids fluttered shut as she slowly lost it.

_My... Saiki...kun..._

"_Saiki-kun_..."

The girl made a face at Shinoya before shrugging.

"...She confuses me. Worrying about him before her own friends... Hard to believe."

She then smirked.

"I wonder if she still keeps that belief... While her own beloved finishes her off."

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"Huh?"

Momoko perked up, almost surprised. Doremi blinked twice in confusion.

"Ne Momo-chan... Something wrong?"

"I... I just had this sinking feeling all of a sudden..."

The yellow witch looked down at her still-unconscious boyfriend before sighing.

"Nick... Something tells me our friends are in trouble. What do we do, huh?"

Doremi frowned. "How much trouble... Momo-chan?"

"I don't know Doremi-chan, it's just an uneasy feeling..."

The pink witch shrugged. "Oh, I'm sure they can handle it. After all they have both Yuki-chan and Kurumi-chan with them... Not to mention Hinata-chan, Akari-chan, and even Cyndi-chan."

The blonde American smiled.

"Yeah... I sure hope so, Doremi-chan."

Her smile turned dazed as she looked at Nick.

_What would __**you**__ think...?_

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"_Huh?"_

_Nick stopped, looking around. "Momoko?"_

_He then shrugged and continued forward._

"_I better hurry up..." he told himself, sighing. "For some reason... I have a really bad feeling that something's going to happen... And it's not something good."_

"_Ah... How right you are, young one."_

"_Ignitus!!" he exclaimed. "What's going on in the waking world?!"_

"_For another time... For now, you need to master the fire element..."_

_Nick made a face and groaned._

"_Yeah, yeah, yeah..."_

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"Saiki-kun... Snap out of it!!" Kurumi exclaimed, holding her hands out to block a dark shockwave. "This isn't like you!!"

"Did I ever mention how I so did NOT see this coming?!" Moriko protested, flailing her arms about, obviously angry. "You happy, Cyndi-chan?!"

Cyndi groaned. "I GET it, Moriko-chan! Anyway... We ought to just knock him out... Maybe to keep him out of trouble..."

"I'm sure Yuki-chan would throw a fit, but..." Onpu considered it. "It's either that, or..."

"She's not even here!!" Hinata groaned. "So we cross that bridge when..."

She stopped when she noticed a dark swirl of energy gather in Saiki's hands and only had time to gasp before he unleashed it.

"_HINATA-CHAN_!!"

Hinata took cover and waited for an impact. She heard it... But she didn't feel it.

"H-Huh?" she wondered, uncovering her eyes before they widened in horror.

"AKARI-CHAN!!"

Akari shivered, her entire body covered in bruises while her clothes looked terribly ripped.

"H-Hinata-chan... Are you okay?" she asked, her voice cracked with tears.

"Akari-chan, you shouldn't of done that!!" Hinata yelled, all too worry for her friend's shape. "Look at you!!"

"Hinata-chan..." Akari started before turning to Saiki's expressionless face.

"S-Saiki-kun... I always looked up to you... Please, wake up."

She shut her eyes tightly.

"I don't want to be forced to fight!! We're the _same_ aren't we?!"

Saiki said nothing but waved his hand, unleashing yet another shockwave that knocked Akari to the wall, making her fall down to the ground, shaking with pain.

"Akari-chan!! Ooh, you've really gone too far!!" Hinata exclaimed, raising her hands. "I don't care who you are, NO ONE hurts Akari-chan like that while I'm around!!"

Akari's eyes glimmered. "H-Hinata-chan... _no_..."

"_Don't you dare_!!"

"Huh?" Hinata stopped, looking at Kurumi confused. "But _why_...?"

"We can't harm Saiki-kun... Imagine how Yuki-chan would feel... Remember what she said after Nick-kun had attacked us under the dark influence?!"

"Ah..." the snow elemental's hands dropped as she frowned, on the urge of crying herself. "I don't want Yuki-chan to hate me... But what are we supposed to do then, huh?! I can't just sit there while Akari-chan gets hurt!!"

"I feel your pain..." Moriko muttered, glancing at Akemi, who immediately blushed.

_I don't know if I could take it if anyone harmed Akemi-chan..._

"If only Yuki-chan were here... So she could give us permission to hurt him." Cyndi groaned, earning a glare from Kurumi.

"She isn't... And I'm not exactly the next best thing..." she mumbled in response, sighing.

_Yuki-chan... If you were here, we wouldn't even be having this problem..._

She quickly shook her head.

_But I've still got to try...!!_

"S-Saiki-kun...?"

He barely casted the gray witch a glance, but for some reason it still got her heart pounding.

"U-Um... It's me, Kurumi... remember?"

No answer. Kurumi flushed.

"You know... The girl who looks almost exactly like Yuki-chan to everyone but you?"

Still nothing.

"S-Saiki-kun... Please just wake up! I know you're in there!! What would Yuki-chan say about this?!"

At Yuki's name, he seemed to perk up, something stirring in his eyes. Kurumi looked a little surprised at this.

"Figures... You react to Yuki-chan's name... Listen... Saiki-kun... I..."

Suddenly she was slammed with another shockwave, making her lose her balance.

"Kurumi!!" Hana exclaimed, immediately rushing up to the fallen gray witch. "Kurumi, are you okay?"

Kurumi's eyes opened, dazed.

"Hana-chan..."

Akemi bit her lip, tears just spilling out.

"Get ahold of yourself, Saiki-kun!! Can't you see your own actions?! Fighting is wrong, and aren't we all friends?! I know I'm no Yuki-chan... But... _please_..."

She began sobbing.

"_Please just stop attacking us!!_"

"Akemi-chan..." Moriko started, taking her friend's shoulders to comfort her before turning to Saiki.

"What is your DEAL anyway?! The way you always let on, Saiki-kun... I NEVER thought for one moment that you would even _think_ about it... Come on, you're Yuki-chan's boyfriend, so SNAP OUT OF IT!!"

Saiki seemed to pause, just shook his head... and vanished.

Kurumi instantly perked up. "He's gone!!"

"Not for long..." Cyndi muttered, clenching her fists. "I highly doubt he'll come around..."

"What are you saying?!" Akari demanded, getting up with the little strength she had. "Saiki-kun's still Saiki-kun!! That's what... Yuki-chan said."

"Do you see her here, Akari-chan?!" Cyndi shot back. "Because of our _weaknesses_, he got away! I should of just killed him the second I figured out who he was!! He might revive the dark master with that power of his!"

Poppu frowned. "Still... In a way... He _is_ our friend..."

"And he means the world to Yuki-chan..." Fami continued, her shoulders drooping.

"Saiki-kun's never really done a thing wrong..." Aiko muttered. "But..."

"How can you say such a thing, Cyndi-chan?" Hazuki asked, her hazel eyes glistening under her glasses. "It's just..."

Cyndi huffed. "From what I observed... He was nothing but trouble."

"That wasn't his fault," Ichiyou stated, hands on hips. "It was his elemental energy..."

Haruka nodded. "He really is a good guy... Not just to Yuki-chan..."

"Do you want the dark master around?!" the former dragon exclaimed, now angry. "I just don't see what's so great about keeping him alive!!"

"It makes Yuki-chan happy, doesn't it?!" Kurumi shot back, just as angry. "Would you just listen to us, Cyndi-chan?! He's our FRIEND, and that's that! It's not like he WANTED to hurt us, oh no... That was _**NEVER**_ the case!!"

Cyndi paused. "So..."

"So... we just try to believe..." Akari's weak voice spoke up.

"I-I, for one... Believe in Saiki-kun... He's still my friend... Didn't you ever have any friends, Cyndi-chan?"

Cyndi's shoulders drooped.

"I did... But that was a long time ago... You know what, fine. But... First we need to find Yuki-chan..."

_Maybe she'll knock some sense into him..._

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

_Nick took a good look around. There didn't seem to be any way to go on._

"_Just great. I search for twenty-five minutes and come to nothing but a dead end," Nick stated, slapping his forehead in frustration._

'_The power of fire will show you the way, young one.'_

_Nick suddenly noticed something he hadn't before: on a nearby wall was a flame crest that resembled the element Nick was learning how to master._

"_Oh, I see," Nick stated, finally understanding. He walked over to said wall, charged his wand with the power of fire, and struck the wall, which retracted and revealed a new pathway for Nick to follow._

"_Wonder why I didn't think of that before?" Nick wondered._

_Continuing down the path, Nick eventually came across frozen sections of the walkway._

"_I'll probably have to unfreeze this to go on," Nick stated. "As if it had to be any more obvious."_

_Nick decided just to make short work of the ice with his newly-discovered elemental attack, Aether, in which he tossed his wand into the air, leapt up to grab it, and came back to the ground with a fiery downward slash._

"_Easy as pie," Nick commented once the path was open._

_The next room was no different, frozen in a block of ice. The only problem was that once the ice had been melted, more shadow creatures came pouring out._

"_Oh, great, as if I didn't have enough trouble here!!" Nick exclaimed, spinning around and creating a fiery energy ripple that easily dispatched the shadows._

"_Okay, now this is starting to get old," Nick stated after clearing the room of shadow creatures, only to have even more show up._

'_Do not fear the fire, young one. Let its power build within you, then release it in a great blaze.'_

_Nick decided to just go with it, concentrating the elemental powers flowing through him and rising into the air, as he had with many attacks of this nature before._

_After a couple seconds, every shadow creature in the room was drawn towards Nick, whose eyes were glowing a bright fiery red, and before anyone could react, Nick thrust his arms outwards and a great maelstrom of fire spread out from his body, effectively obliterating all of the shadows in the area.  
__  
Nick dropped back to the ground, his eyes returning to their normal color. "Whoa. That was pretty neat."_

'_Nicely done, young one. You have proven yourself worthy of the power of the elements.'_

"_Thanks for the tip. Now, is there some way I can stop the Dark Master with these powers?" Nick asked. "Because some of my friends are in danger, and they're gonna need my help!!"_

'_Patience. You will see them again very soon. For now, take this new attire. It will be most fitting towards your powers.'_

_A bright flash covered Nick, and when it receded, he was wearing new clothes; namely, a flannel shirt that was multi-colored, a silver pair of shorts that seemed to glow with his Purifier aura, and a matching pair of flip-flops._

"_Nice outfit," Nick commented._

_Before Nick could thank Ignitus, a glowing doorway appeared in front of him._

"_Well, time to do what must be done," Nick stated to nobody in particular, walking through the doorway._

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Nick woke up staring towards Momoko's beautiful green eyes.

"Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty," Momoko teased, kissing Nick on the forehead.

"Wouldn't YOU be Sleeping Beauty?" Nick responded, blushing a bit. "I thought I was the prince."

"Times change," was Momoko's simple answer. It was then that she noticed Nick's new attire.

"Cute outfit," Momoko noted.

"I do look good in it, don't I?" Nick teased.

"You'd look cute in anything," Momoko responded, giggling a bit. She'd gotten so much better at flirting with her boyfriend by now.

"Is that a challenge I hear?" Nick stated. He knew what was about to start.

"Nick?"

"Yes, Momoko?"

"Stop talking."

With that, Momoko leaned forward and joined her lips with her boyfriend's. They stayed like that for about ten seconds before they pulled apart.

"I never get tired of that," Momoko noted. "I just wish we could do some more of it..."

Nick smiled at this statement. "How about this, Momoko: you and I can do all the kissing we want right after we take care of the Dark Master, okay?"

Momoko blushed like crazy at this simple proclamation. "Deal."

Doremi could only sigh at this. "What am I going to do with you two?"

It was just then that Nick noticed something peculiar. "Wait a minute. Where did Yuki-chan and Saiki-kun go? I can't sense their auras anywhere around here..."

"That can't be good," Doremi noted. "We'd better hurry up, and boy, do I mean HURRY!!"

With that, all three of them were off, though Doremi tripped on a tree root along the way.

"Aw, man... there goes my perfect record..." the pink witch apprentice stated.

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"Will you guys HURRY UP!!"

"As if we're not already TRYING!!"

"Calm down, Moriko-chan!"

"Oh Akemi-chan, just let them be."

"B-But Cyndi-chan..."

Kurumi stomped her foot, obviously angry. "Focus!! If we don't find Yuki-chan soon... We could be in some huge trouble!"

"Tell me something we don't know." Poppu muttered, rolling her eyes. "We're _always_ in trouble..."

"Poppu-chan..." Akari started before sighing. "Um..."

"True, but nothing like this." Onpu corrected, waving her finger. "It's always been pretty bad..."

_Especially when Yuki-chan's involved..._

"It can't be helped..." Haruka shrugged. "It just can't be helped..."

_What do we plan on doing anyway? Sheesh... Now that I realize it... Saiki-kun was absolutely right when he said we took too much advantage of our luck..._

She clenched her fists.

_We need a plan..._

"If only Nick were here..." Ichiyou sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure he'd know what to do..."

Kurumi blushed at hearing Nick's name but sighed as well, looking down at the ground with sad, shimmering brown eyes.

"You... You're absolutely right, Leaf-chan..."

_I honestly have no idea what to do... I sure wish Nick-kun WAS here... Maybe he..._

She quickly shook her head and spun around.

"We still gotta try, don't we?!"

"Kurumi-chan..." Riiko started, perking up.

Humphing, the gray witch stormed forward until she turned at the corner...

_CRASH!!_

"Eep!!" Kurumi yelped, falling back. "What the he... Nick-kun? That you?"

"Huh?"

Nick blinked and grinned, raising his hand.

"Heya, Kurumi-chan!"

Helping her up, Momoko and Doremi rushed up.

"Oh... Hi Kurumi-chan." Momoko greeted, waving. "Nice meeting you here."

"I wish it was just at a better time..." the model responded warily, a slight smile tugging at her lips...

Only a slight.

"What do you mean by that, Kurumi-chan?" Doremi asked, confused.

"She _means_... Our day has just been going from _bad_ to _worse_. Yuki-chan's _disappeared_ and oh, did I forgot to mention that stupid night elemental _betraying_ us?" Cyndi hissed, obviously displeased with the whole thing.

Nick's eyes immediately widened.

"You mean... _Saiki_?" he asked, almost in disbelief. "Whoa... Never would of put it past him..."

"It wasn't his fault!!" Akari protested, rushing up. "It was never his fault!! S-Saiki-kun... just lost it as soon as Yuki-chan was gone..."

"I see..." he replied, biting his lip. "So _that's_ it..."

_That was what was wrong... This is bad... Yuki-chan will be crushed when she finds out!!_

His fists tightened.

_For her sake... I better come up with something..._

"_If you continue on, someone's bound to get hurt... Have you ever once paused to think about your actions?"_

Nick considered this before shaking his head.

_So what if I'm impatient...? Still... impatience will only cause trouble at a time like this... Shoot..._

"I say the first thing we do is find Yuki-chan."

Everyone else just nodded.

"Already on it."

Kurumi smiled.

_I'm still... I'm still so worried..._

_Oh, Yuki-chan..._

She then blushed as she realized something.

"Oh, by the way Nick-kun... Nice outfit."

Nick laughed a bit nervously.

"Um... Thanks, Kurumi-chan."

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_Saiki-kun..._

Yuki winced as her eyes reopened as she looked up, rather confused.

_H-Huh...? Where did that mystery chick go?_

Looking around, she made a "huh" sound.

_**Crackle**__._

Yuki got up, rubbing her now-freed wrists.

_Bad guys should know better than to leave a girl alone... It's rude._

Smiling brightly, she pumped her fists.

"Good as new! Now all I have to do is find my Saiki-kun!!"

She clapped her hands, smiling at the light twilight energy they gave off.

_Good... Still in the clear..._

The black witch looked around one last time before scampering off.

_Saiki-kun... No need to worry! I will definitely find you... I..._

_I __**promise**__..._

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Saiki held his head, wincing. He didn't know what to do anymore...

...Or who was who.

"There you are."

The wizard instantly perked up, his coal black eyes darting to where the mysterious girl was standing.

She smirked.

"For the first test... Do you remember anyone called Shinoya Yuki?"

His hand clenched into a fist as he let out a light breath, obviously not in the mood to talk.

"Hmph. Still slightly... Listen night elemental, you now have orders to kill her... understood?"

He nodded, though still a bit confused.

The girl let out a wicked chuckle before she disappeared.

"_Keep to that order."_

Saiki just blinked and was about to take a step forward when...

"SAIKI-KUN!!"

He froze as he heard the voice and someone pounce on him from behind, two arms wrapping around his waist as she pressed against him.

"S-Saiki-kun... Thank goodness, you're alright!!"

Saiki looked over at the girl, his cold gaze turning slightly confused.

Yuki spun around him, taking his hands in her own.

"I was really worried you know!! I thought I would never see you again!"

She hugged him tightly.

"My Saiki-kun..."

_I'm so glad..._

Saiki blinked as he instinctively returned the embrace, his eyes turning expressionless.

"Who... are you?" he asked in a raspy voice, his fingers digging into the cloth covering her back.

"Hm?" Yuki's eyes half-way opened as she nestled in closer to her boyfriend's chest. Her eyes then shot open as the question sunk in.

_What?!_

She separated from him, looking into his apathetic gaze. She blushed as she just smiled sadly.

"You don't remember me, Saiki-kun...? Very funny. It's _me_, you know... _Shinoya Yuki_."

At the sound of her name, his eyes widened and he shoved her back.

"S-Saiki-kun?"

Without warning, she felt his hand come into harsh contact with the side of her face, knocking her down.

Yuki yelped, holding her cheek in pain. She turned back to Saiki, her big brown eyes filled with pain as well as shock from being hit.

_What the...?_

His hand was trembling no doubt, but his face was only cold and expressionless... His coal eyes seemed blank compared to the soft heart-comforting gaze she was so use to.

"Saiki...kun?" she wondered, her heart pounding.

She immediately ducked when he swung his fist at her, gasping.

_T-This... This is just like that time with Nick-kun!!_

"Saiki-kun, it's me!!" Yuki called out, still shaken up. "Why are you attacking me?!"

He said nothing but approached, still looking down at the trembling girl with no sign of his usual feelings for her.

The black witch blinked and scrambled back. "S-Saiki-kun..."

"_No matter what you think, little twilight girl, that night elemental will become a pawn of the master's... It's his fate."_

She blinked again.

_Is this what she meant? My Saiki-kun... There's just no way..._

Suddenly she noticed dark energy form from his wide open palms. Her eyes widened just before she was hit, sending her a few feet back, spinning before landing painfully on her side.

Yuki hissed as she got up and looked at Saiki.

"Saiki-kun... It's me... Yuki! Please _stop_..."

His fists trembled, but he showed no sign on recognization on his face. Then, he once again raised his hand.

The black witch gulped.

_S...Saiki-kun..._

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Nick looked up.

"Yuki-chan?" he wondered. "What was that?"

"You sensed Yuki-chan?" Kurumi asked hopefully, to which he nodded.

"Yeah... Barely..."

"Well, that's great right?" Ichiyou wondered. "She's okay... isn't she?"

"...I sure hope so."

Suddenly he flinched, looking around.

"Nick...?" Momoko questioned, looking confused.

"Momoko... There's someone here... Looks like Yuki-chan will have to wait for the time being..."

His girlfriend blinked, but nodded.

"I... I see."

Growling, he stepped forward.

_...I just hope she'll hold through..._

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Just then, a massive rumbling began shaking the area around them.

"What IS IT with these STUPID RUMBLINGS?!" Moriko shouted.

Suddenly, Nick, Momoko, and Cyndi shivered. "No... don't tell me..."

As if to confirm their fears, a massive black dragon with golden scales, silver-white headgear, and immense red wings flew onto the scene.

"Malefor," Nick noted, surprising everyone present. "So, you finally decided to show your face, huh, you coward?"

"Since the Shinoya girl is currently being disposed of, I figured I may as well finish the job by killing the lot of you. Once you are out of the way, nothing will stop me from reawakening the Eternal Night and devouring this world in the darkness it so richly deserves to be buried in," Malefor explained with a vicious grin on his long-toothed face.

"Not gonna happen, freak!!" Nick exclaimed, readying his Magic Bracer. Everyone present did the same. "This ends now!!"

Hinata, Akari, and Cyndi stood in battle-ready stances as everyone transformed.

"_There's steak in it for me, right? Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Doremi exclaimed.

"_I'll do my best for my friends! Magic Dimension, open!!" _Hazuki exclaimed.

"_Time to kick some butt!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Aiko exclaimed.

"_Always for my loyal friends!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Onpu exclaimed.

"_There's nowhere I won't go for you!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Momoko exclaimed.

"_Hana-chan at your service!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Hana exclaimed.

"_I'm a cute little sister!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Poppu exclaimed.

"_Towards a lovely future!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Fami exclaimed.

"_I won't lose to you!! Magic Dimension, open!!" _Nick exclaimed.

"_It's my feelings and my choice!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Riiko exclaimed.

"_This is the superstar's life!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Yumi exclaimed.

"_It's going to be okay!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Akemi exclaimed.

"_You'd best stay on my good side!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Moriko exclaimed.

"_Let's try this cute pose!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_ Kurumi exclaimed.

Malefor was not at all fazed by the transformations. "Good. Now I might actually have a challenge."

"_The unlucky bishoujo from the Magic Dimension, Doremi-chi!!"_

"_The sweet bookworm from the Magic Dimension, Hazuki-chi!!"_

"_The super athlete from the Magic Dimension, Aiko-chi!!"_

"_The famous idol from the Magic Dimension, Onpu-chi!!"_

"_The exotic beauty from the Magic Dimension, Momoko-chi!!"_

"_The hyper queen-to-be from the Magic Dimension, Hana-chan-chi!!"_

"_The tiny cutie from the Magic Dimension, Poppu-chi!!"_

"_The future lady from the Magic Dimension, Fami-chi!!"_

"_The courageous fighter from the Magic Dimension, Kellysi-chi!!"_

"_The shy girl from the Magic Dimension, Riiko-chi!!"_

"_The pop superstar from the Magic Dimension, Yumi-chi!!"_

"_The ballet dancer from the Magic Dimension, Akemi-chi!!"_

"_The nature freak from the Magic Dimension, Moriko-chi!!"_

"_The worldwide starlet from the Magic Dimension, Kurumi-chi!!"_

Malefor smirked. "Bring it."

Nick and Akemi were the first to charge forward, but were just as quickly knocked away by a swipe of Malefor's long arms.

Doremi pulled out her bow and aimed an arrow straight for Malefor.

"Like mere arrows will harm me, little girl?" Malefor taunted. Doremi fired the arrow anyway, and it traveled in a straight line and struck Malefor, freezing him in his spot.

"What... what sorcery is this?!" Malefor shouted, completely stuck from the arrow that Doremi had just fired.

Just then, Doremi fired another arrow into the sky.

Moriko looked like she was about to freak out at what seemed to be such a pointless waste of ammo, but Doremi waved her finger and said "Wait and see."

Sure enough, about a second later, hundreds of energy arrows came raining down from where Doremi shot her second arrow, each and every one causing damage to the great dark dragon.

Once the barrage was over, Doremi fired one more arrow that struck hard, sending Malefor crashing into a nearby wall.

"Lucky shot," Malefor stated after brushing the effects of Doremi's attack off. "It won't happen again."

At that point, Malefor disappeared into thin air, attacking so fast that no one could even see it coming. Within the space of five seconds, all of the Ojamajos had been knocked straight to the ground.

"Now do you see that it is hopeless for you?" Malefor stated matter-of-factly. Nick and Momoko were the first ones to rise.

"Not a chance, freak!!" Momoko exclaimed, slowly regaining her balance. "There's no way we're going to give up!! We've come this far, and there's NO WAY IN HELL that we're going to back down now!!"

"Truer words have never been spoken, Momoko," Nick stated, pulling out the seven Majokai Crystals, which began spinning around him and Momoko. A bright halo of light appeared above them. Wasting no more time, they both jumped into the halo, coming out quite differently.

Nick's hair had thickened, shifted to a bright gold, and flowed upwards as if by an invisible breeze. His eyes had shifted to a bright emerald green.

Momoko's hair unfurled from its buns and joined into seven ponytails that glowed the same gold color as Nick's hair. Her eyes had become a soft golden yellow.

"All right, then, _aijen_, what do you say we send this freak back to the sewer he crawled out of?" Nick stated.

"I'd be happy to," Momoko responded, joining hands with Nick as both of them shot into the sky, where Malefor was charging up an attack that was sure to end the battle with one blow.

"Just a little more, and these wretched Ojamajos will be history!!" Malefor exclaimed. "WHAT?!"

The dark dragon couldn't see the attack coming until it was too late. Nick and Momoko slammed into Malefor's chest, knocking him back a few yards and interrupting his attack.

Nick teleported about three feet back, summoned his Purifier aura, and held his hands towards Malefor.

"There's no way you'll be able to survive this, Malefor!! YOU'RE FINISHED!!" Nick exclaimed, gathering all the energy he could find for one final attack.

However...

All of a sudden, Nick reverted back to normal in the middle of his charge.

"Well... that experience was pretty short-lived..." Nick stated before falling towards the ground. Momoko was able to fly down and catch her falling boyfriend just in time. "What happened?"

"Something in this space-time anomaly is messing with the alignment of the Majokai Crystals," Momoko noted. "Basically, with the Crystals out of balance, we're on our own here."

Momoko landed softly on the ground as she changed back as well. Malefor laughed evilly at this.

"Now!! Say goodbye to your pathetic little lives!! THE END HAS COME!!" Malefor exclaimed, raising his wings and creating an enormous ball of dark energy above him.

"Oh, that can't be good," Moriko noted.

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"S-Saiki-kun... Please... _stop_..."

Yuki looked up, trying desperately to meet her boyfriend's gaze.

_He still can't hear me..._

"Saiki-kun..."

She clenched her hands into fists, pushing herself up as she stood, still biting on her lip.

_I'm not weak..._

Her shoulders then just drooped and she sighed heavily.

_But... I can't... lay a finger on Saiki-kun... Cause... Saiki-kun is still Saiki-kun..._

The black witch shut her eyes tightly.

_What am I supposed to do?! I pledged that I'd never EVER hurt him!!_

She once again shot a glace at him and her fists tightened.

"Saiki-kun... Do you have any idea what you're doing right now?! You're stronger than this!! I know you're in there Saiki-kun... I... I just want my Saiki-kun back! Please... Saiki-kun... Snap out of it..."

Saiki didn't even seem to react as he once again approached her, and unleashed a shockwave that knocked her a few feet.

Yuki yelped as she scrambled back on her feet, only to fall back down, shaking. She gasped as the boy approached her, and turned over to her side, hands clutching on her head as if to brace herself.

The black witch yet out another yelp as she felt him grab her arm and twist it in a painful position, forcing her to face him.

Yuki bit her lip to the point where she began to taste her own blood and shivered.

_W-What's he going to do...?_

Her eyes widened when his hand raised and she immediately closed them, just waiting for another painful impact...

However, his fingers only lightly brushed the front of her cheek as his hand settled on her face, his thumb gently stroking her delicate lips.

_What the...?_

This caught Yuki off-guard as her eyes slowly opened, staring at him in confusion while flinching from the surprisingly cold touch.

_This is... different..._ she couldn't help but admit silently. _Normally it's very warm... But, still... Is Saiki-kun...?_

The black witch blinked, meeting her boyfriend's blank eyes as he just sighed before biting his lip. She blinked again.

_Saiki-kun..._

Just then his hand snapped to her throat, tightening around her windpipe as he held her up in the air with surprisingly little strength.

"Aah... Sai--_Saiki-kun_!!" she choked out, gripping the hand around her neck. "S-Saiki-kun... That... _That hurts_!!"

Tears welling up in her eyes, she shut them tightly, wincing.

_D-Darn it... When is anyone going to give my throat a break?! Saiki-kun... Saiki-kun..._

Mind made up, she reopened her eyes, staring straight into Saiki's. Noting the slight hesitation, gritted her teeth.

"L-Look at me!!"

He instantly perked up, confusion lit up in his eyes. Yuki's eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"S-Saiki-kun... L-Look... In my eyes... Who do you see?"

Saiki blinked, tilting his head to look into her chocolate brown eyes, his own eyes widening at the sight of his reflection.

"There... The boy I love more than anything... The one I want by my side forever... Saiki-kun.. Please... I don't want to fight... I never do..."

For a moment he seemed like his old self but he quickly winced, a dark aura surrounding him. His grip lessened, allowing Yuki a little air in her lungs.

"S-_Saiki-kun_!! You are _NOT_ Malefor's pawn... You are Saiki-kun! My Saiki-kun..."

Saiki held his head with his free hand, it throbbing worse and worse.

Yuki tried once again.

"Saiki-kun, you're not _anyone's_ pawn... You have free will, don't you?!"

He released her, letting the black witch fall flat on her bottom. Yuki slightly winced but looked back at her boyfriend.

"Come on... I know you can do it..."

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"Nick-kun, we have to think of something!!"

"Already on it, Kurumi-chan!"

Kurumi frowned, gulping as she stared back at Malefor.

_Yuki-chan..._

Her fists clenched.

_Saiki-kun..._

She gritted her teeth.

_That's right... For both those two's sake... I can't lose now! And I certainly can't give up!!_

The gray witch perked up.

_That's it!!_

"Nick-kun, let's try a purification spell!" she exclaimed, surprising him.

"A simple purification?" Nick questioned in response. "I... I don't know if that will work..."

"If my powers alone were enough to purify Cynder... Than the two of us _together_..." Kurumi just held out her hand.

"Just... Just trust me on this."

The green witch apprentice nodded, taking Kurumi's hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Don't take it seriously, Momoko."

Momoko simply grinned and shrugged. "What ya gotta do is what ya gotta do, right?"

Nick and Kurumi both nodded.

"Thank you, Momo-chan..."

"Oh, here's some advice!!" Moriko exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

"What is it, Mori-chan?"

The jade witch grinned as she held up a finger. "Don't die!"

Nick sweatdropped.

"I'll... I'll keep that in mind..."

_Good ol' Mori-chan... huh?_

He and Kurumi quickly turned to Malefor and nodded.

The shot was fired.

"Ready, Kurumi-chan?!"

"Definitely!!"

"_Asobu soba de sakiyaki sore!!_"

"_Puripuni pikipika chachaki!!_"

The two pulled each other close, and threw out their palms.

"_Double Ojamajo Purifying Light!!_"

The purification spell came in contact with the dark energy, immediately exploding into a bright light that caused everyone to cover their eyes.

"Huh... Impressive..." Malefor noted as soon as the light cleared. "Not too shabby..."

Kurumi turned to Nick grinning, and nodded.

"Malefor..." she started, her voice sugared with the sweetness she reserved for her kid fans.

Her look turned determined.

"...You haven't seen nothing yet!!"

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"SAIKI-KUN!!"

Yuki blocked another dark sphere, gasping as she rubbed her arms, feeling her blood stain her fingertips.

"Saiki-kun... Please snap out of it..." she begged, almost desperate.

Saiki lightly growled and raised his hand, letting out a static lighting that sent shivers up her spine.

_A-Alright then..._

"I'm not going to back down!!" she exclaimed.

"_The waves of my own feelings, take--"_

"_Yuki-chan..."_

_Huh?_

Yuki immediately stopped, her eyes sparkling with horror.

_Saiki-kun's still Saiki-kun..._

"I... I can't hurt him..." she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's Saiki-kun... How could I?"

The wizard took advantage of this and struck, knocking her down to the ground. Yuki slowly got up, gazing at him sadly.

_Saiki-kun's still my Saiki-kun..._

She closed her eyes tightly and threw her fist, immediately making him brace himself...

"_Yuki-chan..."_

Only for her punch to fly right by his cheek, just barely harmlessly brushing his face, surprising him.

Saiki looked at her questionably, his eyes widening at the sight of her tears.

"I won't... I won't harm you... And I won't let anyone else harm you either!! B-Because..."

She covered her mouth, muffling a sob. "Because... I..."

His hand reached out to pat her head before he froze, shook his head, and backed away. Saiki raised a trembling hand at her once again, making her perk up.

"S-Saiki-kun... _please_..."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Suddenly, Cyndi perked up. "Wait a minute... when I got a good look at Saiki... I noticed something peculiar about the dark aura he was emitting... that must mean that Malefor is controlling him! I'll just bet that if we can defeat Malefor, we may be able to break that spell!"

"Well, then, what are we standing around here for?" Nick exclaimed, aiming straight towards Malefor.

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this!! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!!"_

Malefor easily dodged that attack.

"Is that the best you've got?" Malefor taunted, but, in his gloating, he didn't notice a second Arrow of Light heading straight for him.

The second beam of emerald light collided with his head, destroying his headgear.

"You will pay for that, you scum," Malefor growled.

"Tell it to someone who cares!!" Nick shot back.

One after another, Nick kept firing his signature attack towards Malefor until the sky was literally filled with emerald energy.

"You're persistent for someone of your age," Malefor stated.

"Momoko's been telling me that for years now," Nick replied, joining hands with his girlfriend.

"_The rainbow of hope..." _Momoko chanted.

"_The glimmer of promise..."_ Nick continued.

"_In a world without light, let our presence shine forth and destroy the shadows!!"_

Malefor began aiming another stream of dark magic for Nick and Momoko just as a bright aura appeared around them.

"_Double Ojamajo Rainbow Blitz!!"_

With that, Nick and Momoko thrust their free hands towards Malefor, discharging a burst of rainbow energy that struck Malefor in the back, interrupting his attack.

"I'll tell you this," Malefor stated. "Not much can anger me, but you little brats are really starting to get to me."

"Then how about we end this?" Nick suggested.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Yuki quickly dodged another shockwave, still trying to get Saiki to come to his senses.

"Saiki-kun, PLEASE!! SNAP OUT OF IT!!" Yuki exclaimed, somersaulting forward to avoid another attack. "It's me!! Don't you remember me, Saiki-kun?!"

Saiki seemed to hesitate for a few seconds before regaining himself and letting loose another shockwave.

_He stopped back there when I called him... that must mean that the Saiki-kun I know is still in there somewhere... I've got to keep trying to reach him!!_ Yuki thought.

Through all of this, Saiki had found time to teleport behind Yuki and nail the black witch apprentice with another shockwave, sending her tumbling to the ground.

"Saiki-kun... please don't do this... remember who you are..." Yuki stated, only to be hit with another shockwave and sent flying a few yards back. Still, Yuki managed to be able to stand up despite all the hits she'd taken. She slowly stumbled forward, even as Saiki continued to fire shockwaves at her.

"Please, Saiki-kun... please answer me... this isn't anything like the sweet, kind-hearted boy I fell in love with..." Yuki stated, draping her arms around Saiki. The boy struggled, but Yuki would have none of it.

"Saiki-kun... remember who you are..."

Not taking any more chances, Yuki leaned forward and pressed her lips to Saiki's, causing the boy to pull back in surprise a bit. Yuki still kept her liplock, though.

_Please, Saiki-kun... come back to me!_

Saiki still struggled against the black witch apprentice's grip, but suddenly...

_Click._

Saiki's eyes opened wide in surprise before he began to kiss Yuki back. This really pleased her.

_Looks like he's back..._

Once they pulled back, Saiki couldn't help but smile. "I never get tired of that."

It was then that Saiki noticed how beat-up Yuki was.

"I did it again, didn't I? I lost control and I nearly killed you, didn't I?!"

Yuki pulled Saiki close to her. "I don't care about any of that, Saiki-kun. I'm just glad you're back with me now..."

"It was Malefor, wasn't it? He tried to make me kill you, didn't he?"

Yuki nodded. "I think Nick-kun and the others just ran into him..."

This caught Saiki's attention. "If that's true, we'd better get over there and help them!!"

Nothing more needed to be said as Yuki and Saiki raced towards the battleground.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"This ends now, brats!!" Malefor exclaimed. "I've had about enough of you now!!"

Malefor's attack, however, was interrupted by a familiar shockwave attack as Yuki and Saiki rushed to join the others.

"Ah, so you're Malefor," Yuki noted upon catching sight of the dark dragon himself.

"Guess it's time to show you what a twilight witch like me is capable of," Yuki stated, turning the control dial on her Magic Bracer.

"_All for my dear Saiki-kun!! Magic Dimension, open!!"_

Yuki blew a kiss before striking her post-henshin pose.

"_The twilight princess from the Magic Dimension, Yuki-chi!!"_

"You didn't kill the Shinoya girl?!" Malefor exclaimed. "You do remember your orders, don't you, Shidoosha?"

"Not a chance, Malefor!!" Saiki exclaimed. "I'm done being your puppet!! _Crescent Blade!!_"

Hundreds of crescent-shaped energy blades came streaming from Saiki's open palms, cutting into Malefor's scales and causing him to bellow in agony.

"Damn it, boy, you are really getting on my nerves," Malefor stated.

"Just give it a rest," Saiki shot back, joining hands with his girlfriend.

"_From the lovely feeling of the first kiss..."_ Saiki chanted.

"_To the throb of my beating heart..." _Yuki continued.

"_Even if it's all in vain, there's no way we'll fall to your persuasion!!"_

Malefor roared and charged for the two.

"_Double Ojamajo Cross Heart!!"_

Yuki and Saiki thrust their hands towards the dark dragon, discharging a dual heart-shaped energy beam that knocked Malefor back a few feet.

"That's it," Malefor growled. "Time for you all to die."

"MAN!! Is this guy invincible or something?!" Moriko exclaimed.

"It's gotta be this space-time anomaly!!" Saiki explained. "It's boosting his power exponentially!"

"Wait a minute, that gives me an idea!!" Nick shouted. "If we can weaken Malefor enough so that he can't use his power, we should be able to trap him in here! That way, he won't be able to get out!!"

"Well... it's the best plan we've got, so I say we go for it!!" Moriko exclaimed, shifting into stance herself.

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"Well... Who's ready?" Kurumi asked, smiling brightly.

Both Hinata and Akari looked at each other and nodded.

"_Hai_!!"

"Yuki-chan, why don't the two of us start?" she asked, extending out a hand. Yuki nodded and placed her hand in Kurumi's.

"Whatever you say, Kurumi-chan."

Her look-alike nodded, blushing a bit.

_Yuki-chan..._

"_Powers of the forbidden twilight..."_ Yuki chanted.

"_Energy of the mysterious moon..."_ Kurumi chanted.

"_Together, rise up to protect and conquer those who stand in our path..."_ They clapped their hands together and pulled each other close. They drew their free hands back.

"_Double Ojamajo Twilight Barrage!"_

Moriko quickly turned to Akemi, and nodded. Akemi nodded as well and the two joined hands.

"_To the spirits of purity..." _Akemi chanted.

"_For the one true hope..."_ Moriko continued.

"_Together into our hands, we shall eliminate the negative energy from this world!!"_

They pulled each other close.

"_Double Ojamajo Flash Freeze!!"_

Malefor let out a roar, spreading out his wings to block the attack.

"I've had enough!!"

Rising up in the air, the dark dragon growled, causing everyone to tense up.

"It's not much longer, now..." Cyndi mused, clenching her fists. "We best be ready for it..."

Saiki nodded in agreement, sighing.

_As long as I don't lose it again..._

Yuki suddenly latched onto his arm, grabbing his attention.

"Yuki-chan..."

His girlfriend smiled. "Just remember, I believe in you, Saiki-kun..."

The wizard flushed, and smiled back.

_No... I certainly won't... For Yuki-chan's sake._

"Shall we continue?" Nick asked, grinning. Momoko nodded.

"Definitely."

"_The gracefulness of a girl who can dream, take this!! Ojamajo Aura Star!!"_

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this!! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!!"_

The dark dragon dodged the two attacks, earning a grunt from Nick.

"He just won't give up..."

"Kinda like you?" Moriko suggested, narrowing her eyes. Akemi flustered.

"Oh, Moriko-chan..."

"Aw, Akemi-chan... If you want to say something, than just say it!!" the jade witch exclaimed, taking her childhood friend's forearm.

The crystal witch looked surprised for a few moments before stammering.

"M-Moriko-chan!! What are you... Um..."

Moriko cracked a smile. "Tell you what, my dear Akemi-chan! As soon as this is all over, I have as much fun with you as you want! That okay, Akemi-chan dear?"

Feeling Moriko caress her cheek, Akemi flushed a deep shade of scarlet and nodded.

"H-Hai!!"

Aiko simply groaned at the sight.

"Those two... I often wonder 'bout them..."

"Ditto..." Yumi agreed, to which Riiko nodded.

_Still... It's nice at how close they obviously are..._

While Haruka and Ichiyou simply smiled at each other, Kurumi huffed.

_There's plenty of time in the world for that... What I want is know is what to do to stop Malefor... We need to focus on Nick-kun's plan, and that's that! Is that..._

The gray witch gulped.

_Is that so hard?!_

She heard Malefor roar, and instantly perked up.

_A-Apparently... But still... Yuki-chan... Yuki-chan...!!_

Glancing at Yuki, a heavy sigh escaped her lips.

_Oh... What is wrong with me?_

"Incoming, everyone!!"

With that Malefor thrashed his tail, causing the group to quickly scatter like leaves, all of them obviously trying their best to defend themselves.

Saiki held tightly on Yuki and his eyes scanned Malefor.

_We need to keep up our strategy... And somehow ultimately strike down Malefor with a mighty blow... And I have a feeling that tail just might be our ticket._

"S-Saiki-kun?" Yuki shakily wondered, blushing lightly as she separated herself.

"Hm?"

The black witch was silent for a few moments before biting down on her lip.

"We... We should continue..."

Saiki looked confused, but nodded.

"Yes..."

Doremi took her stance. "Ooh, we better hurry!" Poppu nodded.

"I couldn't agree more, Onee-chan."

Fami smiled as well. "Obaa-chan... Let me try!!"

"_Holding on for the sake of my future, take this!! Ojamajo Pretty Storm!!"_

Malefor roared again and took higher ground, making both Cyndi and Saiki flinch.

_Is he...?!_

Cyndi soon calmed down as her shoulders drooped. "This is insane... We _need_ to hurry..."

"We're trying but..." Hazuki adjusted her glasses, letting out her breath. "He's stronger than we thought..."

Onpu frowned. "Our situation never looks good..."

Momoko bit her lip. "Nick...?"

Akari gritted her teeth. "We can't give up!! Hinata-chan, perhaps if we combined our power... We might be able to weaken him enough!!"

Hinata blinked and smiled. "That just might work!"

Nick simply grinned. _Looks like Akari-chan's standing tall..._

The light elemental beamed. "First, let me try! No matter what happens, the brightest light will always shine through, right?"

Her friend nodded.

"I guess..."

Akari smiled and stepped forward, beginning to glow with heavenly light. Malefor growled, covering his eyes from the brightness.

"A... Akari-chan..." Hinata started, surprised.

"Now..." Akari started, clenching her fists.

"Let's do this!!"

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Akari was the first to step up, her hands encased in a bright silver glow.

"All right, dragon boy, let's see how you dance!!" Akari shouted, firing numerous beams of light energy towards Malefor, her long cherry hair blowing backwards in the breeze with each shot. Malefor was able to dodge some of the blasts, but the rest hit dead-on, causing extreme damage.

Malefor retreated back, obviously realizing that his defenses had been weakened from all the time he had spent fighting the Ojamajos, and had decided that now would be the best time for a tactical retreat.

However, Nick had expected this move, and threw his hands towards the retreating dark dragon.

"_SILENCE WALL!!"_ Nick cried, a bright purple wall of energy forming around the immediate area. Malefor stopped short of the shield, easily expecting to break it apart with a quick blast of his dark dragon flame...

...only to find that his attack didn't have any effect on the shield wall.

"Sorry, dragon boy, but you're not escaping this time," Nick taunted, proud of the new trick that Momoko had been helping him perfect. "The Silence Wall can repel all magical and physical attacks from inside the shield wall. I'm sorry to say it, but you're trapped in here now."

"So, a battle to the end it is, then?" Malefor stated, firing numerous dark energy bursts for the Ojamajos, who nimbly dodged.

Hinata then stepped forward, snow energy concentrating around her. "All right, Malefor, let's see how you like this new trick I just came up with!! _SUBZERO SHOCKER!!_"

With that, Hinata aimed for Malefor, discharging a burst of absolute-zero cold air that constricted Malefor and electrocuted him, sending him for a crash landing.

"Ever heard the phrase 'shockingly cold'?" Hinata taunted, giggling a bit at her own pun.

"Girls! Can you distract Malefor? Momoko and I need a little time here!!" Nick exclaimed, joining hands with his girlfriend as the two rose into the air. The others nodded, focusing all of their attention on Malefor.

"_The force of the unluckiest pretty girl in the world, take this!! Ojamajo Storming Spike!!"_ Doremi was the first up, using a telekinetic grip to grab objects near her and toss them straight for Malefor.

The dark dragon batted the attack away and charged for the pink witch apprentice.

"You stay away from my sister, freak!! _The way of a little sister, take this!! Ojamajo Sonic Shock!!_" Poppu exclaimed, tossing an electric energy ripple for Malefor that struck him in the chest, causing him to back off a few feet.

"_Holding on for the sake of my future, take this!! Ojamajo Pretty Storm!!"_

Fami's attack surprised Malefor as he started to recover, but he quickly shook it off and charged again.

"_Doing the best I can for my friends, take this!! Ojamajo Crescent Moon!!"_

Hazuki's light attack blinded Malefor, causing him to drop to the ground, which was where Aiko made her move.

"_The girl who loves to show off, take this!! Ojamajo Ground Shaker!!"_

Aiko slammed her palm into the ground, the impact creating a massive tremor that knocked Malefor around, only adding to the damage he had been taking.

"_For all my wonderful fans, take this!! Ojamajo Spiral Note!!"_

Onpu stepped up and unleashed her own special attack, the spirals of music notes freezing Malefor in his place.

"_The bubbly feeling of a promised love, take this!! Ojamajo Snowflake Crescent!!"_

Hana giggled as her special attack consistently damaged the dark dragon.

"This is so fun!!" Hana exclaimed.

"_The attraction between future beloved, take this!! Ojamajo Magnet Burst!!"_

Ichiyou's special attack brought Malefor closer. Not wasting any time, the summerleaf witch apprentice turned to Haruka.

"All right, Haruka, she's all yours!!" Ichiyou exclaimed. Haruka blushed at this; she and Ichiyou had really gotten closer since they had left on their world tour. Shaking it off for the time being, she focused her attention on Malefor.

"_The swiftness of a girl who wants to fly free, take this!! Ojamajo Moonlight Wing!!"_

Haruka struck swiftly with the glowing wing, causing even further damage.

"_As proof of the most beautiful feeling known, take this!! Ojamajo Psychic Shock!!"_ Riiko cried, holding her glowing hands towards Malefor and surrounding him with a purple field of energy that shocked the dark dragon.

"_Gleaming love of the pop idol life, take this!! Ojamajo Music Wave!!"_ Yumi exclaimed, pointing her microphone at Malefor and releasing a few shockwaves from it that struck Malefor.

"You brats are really beginning to annoy me," Malefor grunted, knowing that he couldn't take much more of this.

"_The waves of my own feelings, take this!! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!!"_

The twilight energy beams that Yuki had fired hammered at Malefor's side until he couldn't take any more. Malefor spread his wings and took off into the sky, but Akemi was right there to stop him.

"_The frost-covered determination of a shy girl, take this!! Ojamajo Crystal Cannon!!"_

Akemi's attack froze Malefor in his place, allowing Moriko to step up.

"_The emerald colors of a morning mist, take this!! Ojamajo Leaf Storm!!"_

The multi-colored sharp leaves that Moriko had been practicing with shot forward and struck Malefor, creating large gashes in his side.

"_The hidden energy deep within my heart, take this!! Ojamajo Moonlight Pulse!!"_

Kurumi threw a shockwave that caused Malefor to crash to the ground on his back.

It was then that Yuki noticed what Nick and Momoko were up to.

"_The souls of purifying thunder..."_ Momoko chanted.

"_The glimmer of purifying light..."_ Nick continued.

Nick and Momoko held their hands tighter than anyone seemingly had a right to.

"_Lend us your wills and give us the power to grant an everlasting miracle!!"_

Nick and Momoko's eyes closed as they concentrated all of their magical powers into unleashing their ultimate attack.

"_The purity of our beautiful souls..."_ Momoko chanted.

"_...shall crush the boundaries of your heart of darkness!!"_ Nick finished as the two drew their hands back.

"GUYS!! AIM FOR HIS TAIL!!" Saiki exclaimed, pointing towards Malefor's tail, which was the only spot on his body that was not protected.

Nick and Momoko nodded as golden electricity burst from their free hands.

"WHOA..." the others couldn't help but gasp. They hadn't been there when Nick and Momoko had used this attack last, so it was a surprise to them all (except for Yuki, though she was still in awe nonetheless).

"_Double Ojamajo Sparkle Screw..."_

Nick and Momoko drew their free hands back, ready to finish off Malefor.

"_...MAXIMUM!!"_

With that call, the two lovers thrust their hands forward, discharging an immense energy beam that was as massive as the skyscrapers that dotted the area. The incredible beam of sparkling silver light quickly thundered forward, enveloping Malefor in its holy light.

When the beam dispersed (and some of the skyscrapers crumbled to pieces under the force of the attack), Malefor was nowhere to be seen.

"Did... did we do it?" Yuki asked.

"I can't sense Malefor's aura anymore," Nick stated. "He's done for."

"THAT WAS AWESOME, NICK-KUN!!" Moriko exclaimed. "Why did you two wait until NOW to pull that trick out of your hats?!"

Nick decided not to answer that.

Meanwhile, from a far-away dimension, the Chronicler was watching the Ojamajos as they celebrated their victory.

"_They have done well. These witches have transcended all of my expectations. As always, a new day brings new adventure... but for now, rest easy, heroes."_

And with a swish of his cloak, the Chronicler walked off into the night.

(Written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"So... What now?"

"Who knows?"

The group was now seen walking along the side of the road, and it is seen to now be really late.

"We did well... So we should rest..." Cyndi walked forward and smiled as she felt a light breeze. "Meanwhile, I need to get going."

"Ehh?! Why Cyndi-chan?" Hinata asked, worried. Cyndi sighed as she gave her a slight smile.

"Because Hinata-chan, now that Malefor's gone... There's no reason for me to stay..."

"But..."

"Listen, I really enjoyed getting to know all of you, especially you, Nick." Nick blushed as Cyndi walked up and pecked his cheek. "Thank you for everything..."

"Aw Cyndi-chan..." he started, a little embarrassed. Cyndi waved her hand.

"No worries, right?"

Yuki looked awed as her eyes gleamed. "C-Cyndi-chan..."

"Yuki-chan, make sure you don't lose Saiki to the dark influence again..." the former dragon smiled. "I'll never forget any of you... my friends. See ya!"

And with that, her wings spread out and she rose up, soon disappearing.

"...Take care of yourself," Nick whispered as Hinata just sighed. Yuki just huffed.

"What does she mean 'make sure you don't lose him to the dark influence again'?! Saiki-kun and I are going to get married someday ya know!!"

"For the millionth time, we are NOT engaged!!" her boyfriend exclaimed, clearly annoyed. "Yuki-chan, get it through already!"

Yuki perked up and blushed, sighing. "But can't you at least imagine us married someday? I know I do... I really do love you, Saiki-kun... So someday... At least?"

Saiki flustered. "W-Well... Maybe... I guess..."

Everyone else started laughing. Moriko chuckled.

"Aw you two!! Keep this up and it won't be any time before..."

"Moriko-chan!!" Akemi gasped, blushing. Her childhood friend just smiled, placing her arm on her shoulders.

"Tell ya what Akemi-chan..."

Haruka just giggled before realizing something. "Oh wait!! Leaf, we REALLY need to get back!"

Ichiyou looked surprised but nodded. "You're right, Haruka! Nick, Momo-chan, everyone... See ya!"

"Leaf!! Take care of yourself!" Nick called out as the two waved, soon rushing off.

"Will... Will they be alright?" Akari wondered, a bit confused. Saiki just sighed and nodded.

"Sure... It is Ichiyou-chan and Haruka-chan..."

Momoko sighed happily. "It can't be helped... Can it, Nick?"

Yumi grinned. "Right..."

Riiko nodded. "Yes..."

"Ne, Nick-kun..." Kurumi started, smiling at him.

"Hm? What is it, Kurumi-chan?"

"I think... I need to find a guy who isn't already in love with another girl."

Nick and Saiki both looked surprised, but Nick just smiled.

"I hope it works out for ya."

"Thanks! So Momo-chan... Uh, never mind. Yuki-chan, you know what to do!"

Yuki gave a thumb-up to her look-alike.

"Hai, hai, Kurumi-chan!"

Suddenly a gasp was heard.

"Akari-chan?!" Hana exclaimed, spinning around. "Is something wrong?"

"T-_Tsuki-san_!!" Akari clasped her hands, her eyes sparkling like diamonds. "I can see the full moon today!"

"Huh?"

Everyone looked up at the sky and they all looked surprised.

Right there in the center of the night sky, with stars glittering all around it, was the pale glimmering moon, looking more beautiful than ever.

"K... _Kirei_..." Saiki stated in awe, his own eyes wide. Nick nodded.

"It's really pretty, isn't it?"

Akari blushed and nodded. "Yes... I'm so glad! In all the time I spent here, this is the first time I saw it! It was really worth the wait wasn't it?"

Hinata giggled and nodded. "I agree, Akari-chan..."

Saiki then perked up, a little confused. Huh?

"Saiki-kun, something wrong?"

Yuki's eyes widened as she notice her boyfriend beginning to omit a dark aura.

"S-_Saiki-kun_!!"

The wizard smiled, letting a sphere of dark energy form in his hand. "No worries."

The energy was soon absorbed, letting the black witch's eyes go wide before she just smiled.

"So... _That's_ how it's supposed to go..."

"Wah!!" Kurumi gasped, placing her hands on her feverishly flushed cheeks. "T-That's... That's..."

Saiki perked up and sighed.

"Would you look at that? It looks like Kurumi-chan's magically attracted after all..."

Yuki blinked twice. "Saiki-kun..."

"So that's what you meant!" Akari exclaimed, now joyful. "People with power are attracted to one another, how interesting! Maybe that's how _I_ feel, too!"

Kurumi blinked twice, and blushed.

_So... It's engineered? Strange... No wonder I like Nick-kun more... But still... I can't ignore past feelings... Especially not my current feelings for him or Yuki-chan..._

Nick just laughed. "Looks like we learn something new everyday, huh Kurumi-chan?"

The model just nodded. "Yeah, I guess..."

"Weeeeell... We should get going," Hinata stated, sighing. "Right, Akari-chan?"

Everyone looked surprised at this.

"Ehhh?!"

Akari sighed.

"Sorry minna... Demo, Hinata-chan and I DO need to get going..."

"Demo doushite?" Doremi asked, completely lost. "Hinata-chan, Akari-chan?"

"We came to this world fleeing from Gaul... And Malefor... Plus we got nowhere to stay..." Hinata trailed off, sighing.

"You could stay with me and Hana-chan..." Fami murmured, frowning. "You two don't have to go you know..."

"Thank you for the offer Fami-chan, but Hinata-chan and I need to go on OUR adventure... We have to finish up our business... And then, maybe... Just maybe..." Akari winked. "We'll be sure to visit some time."

Nick just smiled. "Well, I guess so... Good luck you two."

Hinata smiled brightly as she glomped Yuki.

"Yuki-chan, I would of LOVED to get to know you better but..."

Akari bowed. "Kurumi-chan, Saiki-kun, please just take care!!"

They both nodded.

"Akari-chan..."

Akari then got up, gulped, and walked over to Saiki, lightly kissing his cheek.

"Thank you... _onii-san_."

"Hey, Akari-chan!!" Yuki gasped, snapping out of Hinata's grip. She quickly rushed up to the cherry-haired girl, making her flinch.

"Yu... Yuki-chan..."

The black witch then smiled and hugged her tightly. "Please take care..."

Akari flustered and smiled, closing her eyes.

"Arigatou... Yuki-chan... I don't know where'd I would be if not for any of you..."

She separated herself and backed away with Hinata, the two of them taking each other's hand.

"Sayonara, everyone!"

They all waved as the two disappeared.

"Take care!!"

Saiki perked up as he saw a comet pass through the night sky and smiled.

_Now isn't that something...?_

"Hey Momoko, remember what I said?" Nick asked, grinning. Momoko giggled.

"How could I..."

"OI!!" Aiko yelled, clenching her fists. "Cut it out!!"

"Ai-chan!!" the other Ojamajos exclaimed.

Yuki giggled, clasping her hands. "Saiki-kun, let's make our wedding plans okay?"

"Y-Yuki-chan!!"

The black witch took his hand. "Just kidding..."

"Well..." Moriko looked up and sighed.

"So... Let's just rest, once we get back..."

"I'm liking that idea, Moriko-chan..." Poppu stated, laughing a bit. Everyone else just nodded.

"For some reason though..." Nick stated to no one in particular. "I have an uneasy feeling."

"It's only to be expected." Saiki answered with a slight grin. "Once you unweave yourself from fate, it's soon figured that destiny has more in store..."

"What are you, some sort of a fortune teller, Saiki-kun?"

"Eh," he shrugged. "Better than Oyajide-san is all I can say..."

Yuki laughed. "Y-Yeah... But for now..."

Kurumi grinned, folding her arms behind her back. "I know..."

Momoko winked. "I do, too!"

"For now..." Yuki continued, smiling brighter than now.

"For now... Let's just stay at the wind's mercy!"

Everyone laughed.

"Wherever the wind takes us..." Nick mused, looking up at the night sky.

"And surely... Like Saiki-kun said, the chains of destiny will soon make their way..."

Saiki just sighed, his grip tightening around Yuki's hand.

"It's only a matter of time..."

(Final BONUS by Yuki: Thank you all! Our final ending with be 'Wind Climbing Kaze Ni Asobarete' by Ouki Aki! Another light-hearted ending, yays!)

(Footage: A card on the left flips over to show Hinata striking a pose in the snow. When it flips back over, the card on the right flips over to show Akari clasping her hands happily during the sunrise.)

_wakimichi o dokuri aruku sonna jibun ni mitorete mitari_

_(I am real impressed at myself for walking alone on the side road.)_

(Footage: Nick and Momoko are walking down the road hand in hand, smiling at each other. The two laugh and turn around, waving.)

_aruki tsukareta ano hito e tsumetai kotoba o heiki de hanatsu_

_(Yet I still unleash heartless words on the people who get tired of walking.)_

(Footage: We pan up to where we see Doremi surrounded by the other Ojamajos, panting. Hana seems to be scolding Doremi like a mother, while Poppu sighs and the other laugh.)

_choushi zuiteta chiisana jibun kaze ni asobarete_

_(My small self starts to get enthusiastic as I'm at the wind's mercy)_

(Footage: Akemi is seen spinning and doing a few graceful flips and jumps. Moriko soon rushes up and tackles her in a tight hug. The two soon get up and we pan up to them as they both laugh.)

_yatto koko ni tatte ita_

_(And finally, I stand on this spot)_

(Footage: Yuki hops down and starts calling for Saiki, who walks up to her, asking her what's wrong. The black witch then throws up her arms, grinning. Hinata then appears on one side of the screen, pumping her fist, cheering. Akari appears on the other, giggling. The screen then flips to show them clasping each other's hands.)

_dou ni mo naranai kyou dakedo  
__heitan na michijya kitto to tsumaranai_

_(Today is a day where nothing went right  
__But don't you think a plain life would be boring?)_

(Footage: Kurumi's watching the night sky, sighing. Onpu and Yumi soon rush on screen, smiling. Kurumi then begins laughing.)

_kimi to ikiteku ashita dakara_

_(Tomorrow is a day where I live my life with you)_

(Footage: Yuki's tugging on Saiki's arm and points at the sky. Her boyfriend simply smiles and nods, placing an arm around her shoulders.)

_yobai agaru kurai de choudoii_

_(So this is a good day to get out of the rut.)_

(Footage: Ichiyou stares out the window, smiling. Haruka soon walks up to her, placing her hands on her shoulders, earning a smile from both girls. We then pan out, revealing them to both be back on their study abroad ship on the shining sea.)

_dou ni mo naranai kyou dakedo_

_(Today is a day where nothing went right)_

(Footage: Nick and Momoko are both seen watching the night sky, and they lean forward, about to kiss.)

_heitan na machijya kitto to tsumaranai_

_(But don't you think a plain life would be boring?)_

(Footage: Yuki throws her arms around Saiki, making him blush. Kurumi just laughs at the sight.)

_kimi to ikiteku ashita dakara_

_(Tomorrow is a day where I live my life with you)_

(Footage: Kurumi walks forward and we pan out, revealing the whole group with the exception of Hinata and Akari. Kurumi then sighes.)

_yobai agaru kurai de choudoii_

_(So this is a good day to get out of the rut.)_

(Footage: We pan up to the sky, revealing both Hinata and Akari in the stars as they both smile brightly and a comet flies through the air as we go back down, showing the two girls sitting side by side, sleeping peacefully. A smile soon etches its way to the two girls' lips as the music fades out.)


	12. The Flower That Blooms in the Moonlight

_Three months after Yukizora no Tomodachi..._

Nick took a good look into the sky, towards the setting sun. Something about that big ball of burning light really disturbed him for some reason.

"What the hell is going on?" Nick wondered. "I haven't felt such vibrations since that adventure with Hinata-chan and Akari-chan..."

Nick took one more look at the retreating sun, then quickly shot out of his bed, a familiar feeling of dread passing through him.

"NO!! That can't be possible!!" Nick exclaimed, hoping beyond all possible hope that this feeling wasn't what he thought it was.

"If this is true, I'd better warn the others..." Nick stated, reaching for the communication function on his Magic Bracer.

All of a sudden, a bright ball of light enveloped Nick, and he was ripped out of sight.

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Hana peeked around the corner, wondering if that boy she'd been watching was still there. She looked forwards...

Yep. He was still there.

Hana had some flowers behind her back, wanting to surprise the boy.

"Hana-chan can do this..." Hana kept telling herself. This was technically her first try at asking a boy out, and was she ever nervous.

"Hana-chan can do this... Hana-chan knows she can!!" Hana exclaimed again. "So... here Hana-chan goes!!"

She walked up to the boy, holding the flowers towards the boy.

"Um... Kazuki-kun... will... will you go out with Hana-chan?"

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(They say that those who can't do, teach.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension  
_This Chapter: October 31st, 2008  
Summary: In the sequel to _Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl_, when Nick's parents are attacked by a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul, the Ape King, the Ojamajos will have to come together for one final adventure, because Gaul has wicked designs on this world...  
On Today's Episode: Nick has been feeling odd, and it may have something to do with an all-too-familiar evil force. Meanwhile, after asking out, and ultimately being rejected by a cute boy, Hana is devastated, but Riiko may be able to cheer her up...

Author's Note: I am SO SORRY that I haven't updated this story since I posted the movie. I've just been busy getting other stories ready for release, and I went on VACATION just recently, so that denied me my chance to write. Also, the next chapter is going to be the final chapter, and it'll be co-authored with YukiShinoya444. I REALLY want to put this series to rest.

Disclaimer (just in case): _Ojamajo Doremi_ is copyright Toei Animation. This story, Nick, Haruka, Ichiyou, Riiko, and Yumi are copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger, circa 2008. I don't know who owns Kazuki Sasaki, but it's definitely not me.

One more thing: This series is going to be dedicated to my father, who passed away just recently.

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Chapter 9: The Flower That Blooms in the Moonlight

Riiko looked out at the setting sun. "It sure looks beautiful tonight..." she stated. "I haven't seen a sunset in a while, and I'm just glad I can see it, considering what we just went through..."

As Riiko continued walking down the street, she turned around at the sound of crying. The brown witch barely had time to ask before Hana streaked past her, crying her eyes out.

"Hana-chan, WAIT!!!" Riiko exclaimed. "Come back!!"

Before Riiko could pursue the white witch, she heard another voice.

"Wait up, Hana-chan!!" Kazuki Sasaki exclaimed, having been chasing after Hana for a few miles now.

Riiko put her hands up and effectively caused Kazuki to stop dead in his tracks.

"Kazuki-kun?" Riiko questioned while giving Kazuki a look that clearly said 'you've got some explaining to do'.

"I really don't have time, Riiko-chan," Kazuki answered, dodging around the brown witch apprentice. "I have to find Hana-chan before..."

Unfortunately for Kazuki, Riiko had reached out and grabbed Kazuki by the shirt sleeves, effectively stopping his getaway.

"Kazuki-kun, what happened?" Riiko questioned. "Did Hana-chan ask you out?"

Kazuki could only nod.

"You rejected her, didn't you? You KNOW that she's got it so bad for you, and you still reject her on her first try?!" Riiko exclaimed.

"Tonight's the Night of the Smiling Moon," Kazuki responded. "I didn't want to put her through that again."

Riiko ran this thought through her head; Nick and the others had told her that ever since Hana had magically aged herself, the Night of the Smiling Moon had always caused her to turn back into a baby.

"I don't think she cares about that, Kazuki-kun. She wants to go on a date with you, Smiling Moon or not," Riiko stated. "And if you want to make amends, you'd better do it quick. The Smiling Moon's in four hours."

Kazuki just nodded again. "_Arigatou_, Riiko-chan."

Riiko nodded back, smiling. "Go get her, buddy."

Kazuki smiled back and zipped off.

As Riiko turned around to walk home, she noticed something peculiar about the moon...

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When Nick could see again, he noticed that he was inside what appeared to be a temple. There was a pool of green liquid at the center of the room, but what truly caught Nick's attention was a rather large figure standing in the shadows.

"I have been waiting for your return, young one."

Nick perked up, easily recognizing that voice. "Ignitus? Is that you?"

Indeed, Ignitus, the Guardian Dragon who had taught Nick the power of the fire element not too long ago, stepped out of the shadows. "It has been a while, Nick."

Just as Nick was about to respond, he noticed three other dragon-shaped figures still standing in the shadows of the room.

"Could someone PLEASE explain why I'm here?!" Nick exclaimed, running short on patience.

"There is absolutely, unequivocally, positively no more chronological moments available for us to just be loafing around this structure without instructing this kid on the energies of the elements he needs to master so he will be able to concludify this barbaric happenstance!!" a new voice stated VERY quickly.

Nick was left a little confused as the yellow dragon who had said that stepped out of the shadows.

"Do not worry," Ignitus stated. "Volteer always talks like that."

"I can see," the very confused Nick stated.

"Volteer is the master of electricity," Ignitus explained, "and he is a Guardian like me."

"Will someone PLEASE answer my question?! Why the hell am I here?!"

"We must not dawdle around," the blue dragon, Cyril, noted. "Time is of the essence. He is waiting for us."

"What are you talking about?!" Nick exclaimed...

...and just then, the pieces fell into place.

"It's Malefor," Nick stated. "He's still alive, isn't he?"

"That's why we must hurry and complete your training in the elements," the green dragon, Terrador, noted. "Follow us."

Nick looked confused for a second, but followed the four dragons anyways.

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"That was so fun, Kazuki-kun!!" Hana exclaimed after a rousing date with Kazuki at the carnival.

"I'm... I'm glad I changed my mind, Hana-chan," Kazuki stated, holding the white witch close to him. "You're such a wonderful girl..."

Hana giggled, blushing like crazy. "Aw... thank you so much, Kazuki-kun!!"

Kazuki looked up into the sky. Five minutes until the Smiling Moon. _I may as well do it now..._

However, before Kazuki could collect his thoughts, Hana tapped him on the shoulder. Kazuki turned around, only to have the white witch join her lips with his.

Kazuki seemed quite surprised at this, but quickly got over it and returned the kiss in kind, his arms wrapping around Hana as he tried to deepen the kiss to the best of his experience.

Just then, Hana began glowing brightly, signifying that her transformation was about to begin.

"Hana-chan doesn't care about that... Hana-chan just wants to be with you, Kazuki-kun..."

Kazuki just smiled.

"_Aishiteru,_ Kazuki-kun."

"_Aishiteru,_ Hana-chan."

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"WHOA!!" Nick exclaimed as he followed the Guardian Dragons into a large circular room with a dragon statue in the center. "Kinda spacious, don't you think?"

"This is necessary for the final phase of your training," Ignitus responded. "We will teach you special abilities that not even the Chronicler could control."

"Like?" Nick wondered.

Just then, a dummy popped up from seemingly out of nowhere and tried to charge at Nick.

Not fazed, Nick tensed up.

"_Comet Dash!!"_ Nick exclaimed, charging forward and becoming a sort of whirlwind. Fire energy concentrated around him as he spun and crashed into the dummy, breaking it apart instantly.

"Whoa. I didn't know I knew that move!!" Nick noted.

"It is as I told you, young warrior," Ignitus stated. "You possess many innate abilities that you have ever dared to dream."

"I believe it is my turn, Ignitus," Cyril replied, stepping forward. At this, Nick glowed with a blue light.

Another dummy appeared and charged for Nick. The emerald witch just smiled.

"All right, take this!! _Ice Tail!!_"

Nick whipped around in his spot, his feet glowing with an ice-blue light. Not wasting any time, Nick lashed out with the force of a runaway freight train, his flying feet freezing the dummy into an ice block and knocking it right into the wall.

"Nicely done," Cyril commended.

"What can I say? I'm a fast learner," Nick commented.

"My turn to teach the young lad a special exhalation energy ability!!" Volteer stated, very quickly as always. This only caused Nick to sweatdrop.

"Okay, no more thesaurus for you," Nick teased as more dummies popped up.

"Time to see how you dance!!" Nick teased. _"Electric Whirlwind!!"_

Spinning around rapidly, Nick began to gather electric energy around him, creating the aforementioned whirlwind around him as he spun. The force of the attack sucked the dummies into the whirlwind and tossed them into the air, where they immediately shattered upon contact with the ceiling.

"Nice one," Nick commented.

"Let us see if you can master MY power, young one," Terrador noted as more dummies appeared.

"Why won't you just stay down, freaks?" Nick exclaimed, bringing his hands back. _"Earth Flail!!"_

Nick thrust his hands forward, unleashing the double sonic boom that was associated with his command of the earth element. The dummy was immediately knocked a couple feet into the air.

Not content with leaving it at that, Nick leapt into the air and slammed his hands into the airborne dummy, unleashing another double sonic boom that brutally slammed the dummy into the ground.

"God, I'll never get tired of that move," Nick stated.

"Well done, young warrior," Terrador commended. "You have fully mastered the power of the elements. Now you are ready to fight Malefor."

Nick just shook his head. "Look, I know you guys are confident in my abilities, but I don't think I could take Malefor on alone. Someone once told me that alone you're great, but together you're unstoppable. I've always fought alongside my friends, and that's how I'm going to keep fighting."

"Well said, young warrior," Ignitus noted.

Just then, the beating of wings caught everyone's attention. Nick looked up towards the skylight and saw a most unusual sight: a human girl with black dragon wings.

However, when Nick caught sight of the markings on the girl's wings, he knew.

"Cyndi-chan!!"

Indeed, Nick's old friend Cyndi was floating there, smiling brightly. She had apparently changed a bit in the three months since they'd last seen each other. Her twilight-black hair was now a little bit shorter, about waist length, but now held green highlights instead of red and yellow. Her amethyst eyes were still as deep as Nick remembered.

"Good to see you still remember me, Nick," Cyndi stated with a tiny blush on her face. Nick knew that Cyndi had a massive crush on him.

Just then, Ignitus noticed something amiss about Cyndi. "This girl reeks of darkness..."

Nick motioned to Cyndi as he explained. "She used to be the black dragon Cynder, but my friend Kurumi-chan purified her three months ago, and she helped us stop Malefor that time."

"Ah..." Cyril interjected. "The power of the Elemental Angels is miraculous indeed."

"Did you miss me, Nick?" Cyndi asked, a bit of flirtatiousness in her voice.

"Only if you missed me, Cyndi-chan," Nick responded.

"We must hurry, scoot, skedaddle if we are to solve, conclude, and stop this problem!!" Volteer exclaimed, to which Cyndi just sweatdropped.

"He always talks like that," Nick explained, to which Cyndi just nodded.

"Ignitus, get the rest of the Ojamajos over here," Nick stated. "They're gonna need to hear this."

Ignitus nodded, flapping his wings and flying off through the skylight.

"Cyndi-chan, you and I are gonna try to get in contact with Hinata-chan and Akari-chan. We're definitely gonna need their help for this one," Nick stated.

Cyndi giggled. "I'm on it, Nick!"

Nick looked up through the skylight of the Dragon Temple. _This is it, Malefor. Your reign of terror is about to come to an end._

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Next time:

Final Chapter: Together At the End of the Dream

With everyone rounded up and ready to go, Nick and the girls, along with the Guardian Dragons, head out to confront Malefor for the last time. But will it really be that easy? With the Ojamajos, nothing is ever easy...


	13. Together At the End of the Dream

(Prologue, written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Wow, gotta give this place props for interior decorating," Doremi noted as she looked around at the Dragon Temple she'd been brought to.

Almost everyone had been rounded up by Ignitus and was now waiting at the Dragon Temple for Nick and Cyndi to return with the rest.

"Could someone please explain what's going on?" Saiki wondered, still a little fidgety. The others knew he was worried about Yuki.

"I can explain that, young one," Ignitus stated. "I do not know how it is possible, but Malefor has returned."

"WHAT?!" Saiki exclaimed. "That can't be possible!! I saw Nick-kun and Momoko-chan destroy him three months ago!"

"Calm yourself, young prince," Terrador stated, trying to keep Saiki calm in such an intense situation. "We have no idea how he has returned, but he has."

"And so you need our help to stop him?" Hazuki wondered.

"I'm not really that surprised at all," Aiko stated. "At least the dragon freak will give us a challenge!!"

"You... may not want to say 'dragon freak' around Cyndi-chan, okay, Ai-chan?" Onpu noted. "She really doesn't want to be reminded of her past."

"You really think we'll be able to stop Malefor again?" Momoko asked.

"No need to worry, Momo!!" Hana exclaimed, just as hyper as ever. "Hana-chan knows we can do it!!"

"I know you're right, Hana-chan," Poppu stated, quite confident.

"Yeah, we beat that dragon guy once and we'll just as quickly do it again!!" Fami exclaimed.

"He's probably going to be much stronger than he was before, so we'd better be careful," Haruka noted. "Right, Leaf-chan?"

"Of course, Haruka!!" Ichiyou exclaimed, glomping Haruka and making the aqua witch blush like mad.

"There's no way I'm letting him get away with this," Riiko stated, her fists tightened.

"We'll DEFINITELY teach him a lesson," Yumi proclaimed, her microphone held proudly. "I'll make sure of that!!"

At this point, Nick flew in with Cyndi.

"I just got in contact with Yuki-chan and her friends. They'll be over with Hinata-chan and Akari-chan just as soon as they can," Nick explained.

It seemed that Nick and Cyndi were the only ones to notice Ignitus' expression.

"If they cannot stop the Dark Master, no one can..." Ignitus stated to nobody in particular.

(Footage: Hinata and Akari stare at the comet as it flies over the city, then turn to the camera and smile.)

_Osanai koro omoiegaiteta  
__  
Otona wa doko ni mo inai_

(Footage: Nick and Momoko can be seen snowboarding down a mountain. After a few seconds, Hinata speeds by them on her own snowboard, drenching the two in snow.)

_Surechigai kasanaru kokoro ga_

_Uchuu ni mo kodoku ni mo naru_

(Footage: Akari sits on a chair just outside the MAHO-dou, smiling and watching the sun rise. We pan over to Yuki and Saiki, who are watching Akari with smiles on their faces. Yuki leans over and kisses Saiki on the cheek, which causes him to blush.)

_Cross heart towa ni hareta sora no you na_

(Footage: We can see Malefor in his dragon form flying through the skies, roaring loudly.)

_Kimi no egao ga mabushikute_

(Footage: Cyndi flies onto the screen, beating her wings slowly as she floats to the ground. She notices Nick behind her and blushes.)

_Biroodo no tameiki ga yami ni haneta_

(Footage: Akari looks towards Hinata, both of them smiling. They join hands with each other, and this creates a light that fills the entire screen.)

_Aimai na ichibyou ni irozuku bokutachi wa_

_Tashika na nukumori o hoshigari_

(Footage: We can see the Ojamajos fighting Malefor from _Yukizora no Tomodachi_. Nick easily hops away from a dark magic sphere, then retaliates with a blast of purifier energy that knocks the dark dragon off balance. Malefor just roars and Nick tenses up, ready for action.)

_Mananda you na furumai de_

_Namida no kakera yoroi ni shiteta_

(Footage: Yuki can be seen dodging dark magic strikes from someone who can't be seen from the current camera angles. After deflecting a few energy blasts, Yuki gets a good look at her attacker, then gasps in shock.)

_Gamushara ni motomete_

_Soshite tsutaenakucha_

(Footage: Akemi takes a good look at Nick, then blushes. Hinata can be seen doing the same thing. Moriko just shakes her head in frustration.)

_Kizutsuite mo_

(Footage: We pan out to see all fifteen Ojamajos, Saiki, Akari, and Hinata in a group pose outside of a snow-covered Jewelry World MAHO-dou. The four Guardian Dragons and the Chronicler can be seen behind them.)

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(They say that those who can't do, teach.)

**YukiShinoya444** and **S.P.D. Gold Ranger** present:

_Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension_

This Chapter: February 1st, 2009

Summary: In the sequel to Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl, when Nick's parents are attacked by a mysterious marauder known only as Gaul, the Ape King, the Ojamajos will have to come together for one final adventure, because Gaul has wicked designs on this world...

On Today's Episode: With everyone rounded up and ready to go, Nick and the girls, along with the Guardian Dragons, head out to confront Malefor for the last time. But will it really be that easy? With the Ojamajos, nothing is ever easy...

Author's Note: This final chapter is co-authored with YukiShinoya444.

Disclaimer (just in case): Ojamajo Doremi is copyright Toei Animation. This story, Nick, Haruka, Ichiyou, Riiko, and Yumi are copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger, circa 2008. I don't know who owns Kazuki Sasaki, but it's definitely not me. (by **YukiShinoya444**: He's MINE, Nick-kun!!)

One more thing: This series is going to be dedicated to my father, who passed away just recently.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Final Chapter: Together At the End of the Dream

(written by **YukiShinoya444**)

A flash of light was seen in the area as the snow blew furiously around it, as if trying to smolder it.

Then, the light exploded, letting the snow fall everywhere as a figure walked up, cherry pink hair brushing at her waist.

Akari let out a sigh and turned to the other girl across from her, with her hands on her hips.

"Are you going easy on me, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata merely grinned, shrugging.

Akari made a face and groaned.

"Be serious! Saiki-nii-san _told_ us how important it is that we completely master the elements so we don't lose control like he did!!"

Hinata flinched at the old memory, and her breath escaped her lips.

"Sorry, Akari-chan. Old habits die hard..."

Her friend's lips twitched, and Hinata looked down.

"Just... remembered what you looked like after that vicious attack... I couldn't stand that if I did that to you."

_If anyone ever did it again..._

Akari frowned.

_Hinata-chan..._

"I didn't defend myself. Yuki-chan would have killed me if I harmed him, even if it was in self-defense... Hahaha..." she shook her head.

"Man, do I miss her..."

At the mention of Yuki's name, Hinata's entire face brightened up before she started pouting.

"Oh, so do I!! Yuki-chan and I were MEANT to be great friends!!"

Akari laughed.

"Okay, then... Let's try this again..."

"Agreed." Hinata smirked and the elements collided again, at an equal amount.

Akari grimaced, trying to focus the light as well as she could...

Only for the two to be literally cut in half by a fierce twilight energy, sending both the two girls back.

"What, no one invited me for element training? I'm hurt."

Yuki floated down, grinning as she encased herself with her traditional twilight aura.

"Akari-chan, Hinata-chan, long time no... Oh."

Yuki blinked when she saw that both of the twin elementals were unconscious, and let out a nervous laugh.

"Whoops. I think I overdid it."

Akari then stirred, mumbling something unreadable as her ruby red eyes fluttered open.

"H...Huh?"

Her vision focused on Yuki's figure, and the black witch gave her a cheerful grin.

"Hey there, Akari-chan."

She winked.

"Miss me?"

"Yu...Yu... YUKI-CHAN!!" the red head squealed, tackling her in a tight embrace.

"Yuki-chan, we were just talking about you! You... and Saiki-kun.... I mean, wow! I didn't expect to see you so soon..."

Yuki just smiled and nodded, returning the embrace.

"Nice seeing you, too... Akari-chan."

"Ohhh... Yeah! How is everyone? Is Saiki-kun okay, I mean? Is he? Is he?" Akari's eyes sparkled with expectation.

"They're all doing well, right?"

Yuki laughed a bit.

_Actually... Knowing Saiki-kun... He's probably worried sick about me... I better hurry... If I want to make him smile..._

"Akari-chan..."

"Mmm..." Hinata moaned, yawning as she got up and stretched out her arms.

"Sheesh, Akari-chan! That was just... wow. I mean, that power... That strength... So cool..."

Her eyes fluttered open.

"And... and..."

They went wide at the side of the black witch.

"YUKI-CHAN?!"

Yuki waved.

"Hi, Hinata-chan."

"YUKI-CHAN, IT IS YOU!!" Hinata exclaimed, tackling BOTH Yuki and Akari into the snow.

"Wow, wow, WOW! I can't believe you decided to visit! Is Nick with you?! I mean, I mean..."

The blond looked around, and her expression turned confused.

_Huh...?_

"Where's Saiki-kun?"

"Oh, right!" Akari stood up, looking around expectantly as well. "Where's your husband, Yuki-chan? It's so weird, not seeing him with you..."

_Though... I'm starting to have a weird feeling about this..._

At the mention of Saiki's name, Yuki's eyelids lowered and her stare turned blank.

_Saiki-kun..._

Hinata and Akari just looked confused at this.

"Y-Yuki-chan?"

_What's wrong with her...?_

Yuki cleared her throat.

_Saiki-kun..._

"Actually... There's a reason why I'm here."

_Saiki-kun..._

"Nick-kun contacted Saiki-kun and I... We got some news... It isn't good..."

_Saiki-kun isn't handling things too well..._

"H-He told me to come find you, too... It's urgent you see..."

_He remembers what happened three months ago... He's hurt by it... I don't want to cause him pain like this... No..._

"You see..."

_I just want his smile... Just his smile!!_

Yuki's gaze focused and she tensed up, clenching her fists as she looked at the two girls with complete seriousness.

"Malefor's returned. He's back."

Hinata and Akari turned blank.

"He... He's back?" Akari echoed, horrified. "T-That can't be! I saw Nick... Momoko... Kurumi-chan... You... Saiki-kun... Everyone... _I SAW HIM DESTROYED_!!"

Hinata merely nodded, speechless.

_It just can't be..._

Yuki shrugged.

"Looks like it wasn't absolute."

"And now that that's out of the way..." Kurumi's cool voice stated.

Akari blinked as she and Hinata took in the sight of Kurumi, Akemi, and Moriko flying down to them.

All of their expressions were serious, even on Akemi's normally delicate face.

"Nick-kun called." Kurumi stated grimly. "Come on you two, we got a dragon to go kill..."

"AGAIN," Moriko groaned. "I'm not talking about Cyndi-chan, though."

"Y-Yuki-chan..." Akemi's voice shook but she gulped. "Saiki-kun wants us to hurry... He's in near hysterics."

Yuki's smile turned rueful.

_Saiki-kun, Saiki-kun... He's always worried... When will I get to see that warm smile that I've always loved?_

"My Saiki-kun's never looked so defenseless..." she whispered as she motioned for Akari and Hinata to join her.

"Come on, you two."

The two girls quickly nodded.

"Alright."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

_Later on..._

"WE'RE HERE!!!" Yuki exclaimed, bringing Hinata and Akari with her. Akemi, Moriko, and Kurumi weren't far behind.

"Good," Ignitus stated. "The whole party has arrived. Now we can get down to business."

"Wait a minute, Ignitus, how is Malefor even back?" Saiki asked. "I could have sworn he'd been destroyed!!"

"Calm yourself, night elemental," Terrador stated, trying to keep Saiki under control. "We have no idea how Malefor has returned, but what we do know is that the Well of Souls may have something to do with it."

"Maybe, do you think someone may have used the energy stored in the Well of Souls to bring Malefor back?" Akemi wondered.

"It can't be Gaul," Yuki noted. "Nick-kun obliterated him."

"Well, I'm fresh out of ideas, then," Kurumi wondered. "Gaul would be the only logical choice, but he's dust now. So WHO THE HECK COULD IT BE?!"

"You need to calm down, Kurumi-chan," Moriko stated.

Before Kurumi could reply to that comment, something crashed through the skylight of the Dragon Temple, causing all of the Ojamajos to fall to the ground and causing the Guardians to tense up.

Then, it happened.

A burst of fire came out of nowhere and struck down Cyril, followed up by ice shards that knocked Ignitus to the floor.

"What was that?!" Nick snapped.

Just then, a torrent of water shot forward and struck Terrador, easily dazing him, and a storm of rocks followed this that knocked down Volteer in a split second.

Nick looked up into the shattered skylight, and just as suspected, there was Malefor, the dark dragon's pitch-black scales shining in the light of the setting sun.

"Malefor," Nick stated quite simply. "Should I be surprised?"

The dark dragon simply grinned. "You don't seem all that shocked by my return, boy."

Nick waved his finger. "They always come back for more, Malefor. It's a known fact."

"Well, then, that means we can skip a few steps," Malefor commented.

"NICK-KUN!!! STOP MAKING SMALL TALK AND GO CRAZY ON THIS DRAGON!!!" Moriko exclaimed.

Nick sweatdropped at this. "I was getting to that, Mori-chan. _SCATTER SHOT_!!!"

Nick thrust his hands towards Malefor, launching multiple spheres of energy towards the dark dragon.

Malefor laughed evilly when the spheres stopped short... only to realize, too late, that they were surrounding him.

Nick slammed his hands together, and all the energy spheres he'd launched crashed into Malefor all at once, causing some hefty damage.

"You're up, Mori-chan!!" Nick exclaimed. Moriko nodded and stepped forward.

"_The emerald colors of a morning mist, take this!! Ojamajo Leaf Storm!!"_

Rainbow leaves appeared and flurried around the jade witch before shooting towards Malefor, each one striking him and leaving dents in his armor.

"Take THAT!!!" Moriko exclaimed.

"_The hidden energy deep within my heart, take this!! Ojamajo Moonlight Pulse!!"_

Kurumi tossed her hands out and launched a shockwave for Malefor.

"You brats are really beginning to annoy me," Malefor stated, breathing fire everywhere.

Saiki dived forward, pushing Yuki away from the fire, only to take the hit himself.

"SAIKI-KUN!!!" Yuki exclaimed, turning towards Malefor. "You're going to pay for that, you little son of a bitch!! No one hurts my Saiki-kun and gets away with it!! _The waves of my own feelings, take this!! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!!_"

The familiar flurry of twilight energy beams came too fast for Malefor to stop, easily knocking him out of the sky.

"I see you've gotten stronger since the last we met, Shinoya," Malefor noticed.

"No way are you taking Saiki-kun away from me again," Yuki seethed.

"That's right, Yuki-chan," Saiki replied, joining hands with his girlfriend. "I'll be strong. I won't fall to his persuasion again."

"Just what I wanted to hear, Saiki-kun!!" Yuki exclaimed before closing her eyes and concentrating.

"_From the lovely feeling of the first kiss..."_ Saiki chanted.

"_To the throb of my beating heart..." _Yuki continued.

"_Even if it's all in vain, there's no way we'll fall to your persuasion!!"_

Malefor roared and charged for the two.

"_Double Ojamajo Cross Heart!!"_

Yuki and Saiki thrust their hands towards the dark dragon, discharging a dual heart-shaped energy beam that knocked Malefor back a few feet.

"You brats!!" Malefor roared, charging again.

"_The gracefulness of a girl who can dream, take this!! Ojamajo Aura Star!!"_

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this!! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!!"_

Nick and Momoko's special attacks flew forward and stopped Malefor cold.

Then, Malefor shook his spiked head. "I don't know why I'm wasting my time with you brats," the dark dragon grimaced. "Maybe I should just destroy this pitiful planet."

With that, Malefor launched a powerful bomb made of Convexity energy that created a hole in the floor. Not wasting any time, Malefor dived into the hole.

"He's going for the world's core!!" Volteer exclaimed.

"There is still time. It will take even Malefor at most a week to reach the core of this world," Cyril noted.

"That still does not leave us with much time," Ignitus responded. "Ojamajos, you must listen carefully. Malefor has gotten much stronger since you fought him last. Only the Sisters of Fate will be able to give you all the power you will need to best Malefor once and for all."

"The Sisters of Fate?" Saiki repeated. "I thought they were just legends..."

"The Sisters of Fate lie to the north, just beyond the former site of the Mountain of Malefor," Terrador explained. "If you all hurry, you will be able to make it there and gain the abilities you need before Malefor can complete his task."

"You must hurry, Ojamajos. There is not a moment to lose!!" Ignitus exclaimed.

"Of course, lay the pressure on us," Moriko stated sarcastically.

(written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"So..."

Yuki looked around, confused.

"Which way's the mountain again?"

"Saiki-kun?" Nick asked expectantly. Saiki just nodded.

"Right..."

With that he closed his eyes and began to focus. The pathways layed out before him, and he watched them carefully, deducting which one held the most familiar dark energy.

"40 degrees to the north." he started. "Then a five mile turn to the east... 80 degrees northwest.... The mountain as well as the Sister of Fate should be straight ahead."

"A few turns, I forgot to mention." Terrador laughed a bit. "I'm surprised your mind retains so much detail..."

Saiki blushed but looked down.

"I'd recognize it anywhere... After all... How could I forget being corrupted by that very same energy?"

He shook his head, as if to dispel the memory.

_I couldn't see anyone... Anything... Only darkness... But I took the order by a face I couldn't even remember... And all I knew was that I needed to destroy the target... But..._

He winced.

_But then I felt Yuki-chan... And I... couldn't stop myself._

"SO... Are we going or not?" Hinata asked expectantly, beaming. Akari just patted Saiki's shoulder.

"As soon as I understand what the hell Saiki-kun just said about directions and turning..." Moriko growled, folding her arms.

Akemi laughed.

"Just in the north. The wind should show the way."

Nick shrugged himself.

"Agreed."

"Good luck, Ojamajos." the four guardian dragons stated as the gang were on their way.

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"Okay... HOW MUCH LONGER?!"

"Calm down, Ai-chan." Hazuki laughed.

But Moriko huffed.

"I agree... HOW MUCH STINKIN' LONGER?!"

"_MORIKO-CHAN_!!" Akemi exclaimed, pulling her finger to her lips. "Shh!"

Moriko blushed at that.

_Man, Akemi-chan's cute._

Kurumi looked about. "According to Saiki-kun... 15 more miles till we make that turn."

"How long is that supposed to take?" Hana asked, a bit confused.

"Not long at all, actually. We're making excellent time." Cyndi laughed. "We should be there soon enough."

"This place is beautiful..." Akari sighed, looking about. "What a big, blue sky..."

Saiki just nodded, while Hinata grinned.

"You said it! It's warm... But I prefer it when it's snowing..."

She glomped Yuki.

"But having Yuki-chan here is ten times better than that!!"

Yuki just rolled her eyes.

_Figures my name means snow..._

Saiki laughed a bit. "Can't argue with that."

_Oh, Yuki-chan..._

His girlfriend perked up.

_But... He still appears tense... I really want to hug him..._

Then, Kurumi spoke up.

"So... What happened while we were gone?"

"The usual... Trouble... brewing.." Nick trailed off.

Hana raised her hand.

"Hana-chan got a boyfriend now."

"You did? Congrats." Kurumi smiled brightly. "I'm proud of you, Hana-chan."

"Yes... My DAUGHTER got a boyfriend before I did..." Doremi groaned, folding her arms. "That's just not fair..."

_Mou..._

"Oh, Doremi..." Poppu sighed.

"Shut up, Poppu."

Fami giggled at that. "Doremi-obaa-chan..."

Yuki blinked, curious.

_Huh..._

"So what's his name, Hana-chan? Who's the lucky cutie?"

"Kazuki-kun." Hana grinned. "His name's Kazuki-kun."

"_Sasaki_ Kazuki-kun?" Saiki furrowed his brow. "Never would have put it past him..."

_That kid..._

"You know him, Saiki-kun?" Riiko asked, a little surprised.

"Hard to forget a guy like that."

"He used to tease me and Saiki-kun all the time..." Yuki laughed. "Saiki-kun didn't like that."

_Those sure were the days..._

Her boyfriend made a face at that.

"Of _course_, I didn't."

"Why not? Yuki-chan's your wife isn't she?" Akari asked, a little confused.

_Onii-san..._

"She's my _girlfriend_." Saiki quickly corrected.

_Akari-chan still doesn't get it._

"Big difference." Hinata giggled herself.

Yuki latched onto Saiki's arm, and he said nothing.

_Yuki-chan..._

"So... We almost there?" Yumi asked, smiling a bit at the sight.

Yuki nodded, still tightened to her boyfriend.

"Yep, that's right, Yumi-chan."

Onpu looked about.

"First, any signs of trouble?"

"Nope, looks clear." Momoko confirmed in English. "See anything, Nick?"

"Not at all, Momoko."

Saiki twitched.

"My senses say otherwise."

Cyndi nodded.

"He's right... Something feels amiss..."

"Well go for it Cyndi-chan." Ichiyou stated, Haruka close beside her.

"L-Leaf-chan?"

Cyndi looked uneasily at Saiki, who suddenly seemed discouraged, and made a face.

"Can you tell what it is?"

"Size, shape, and form... I'm sure we've never seen it before." the younger prince replied sullenly.

Yuki frowned.

_Saiki-kun..._

"How big is it?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not that it really matters, Saiki-kun."

The night elemental seemed to pause.

"We're about to find out."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Almost as if to answer Saiki's question, something massive dropped down from out of nowhere. Yuki nearly screamed as the massive stone golem shook the area up, causing rocks to fall from the cliffs above.

Nick stood his ground, drawing Hanyou Hikari. "Listen, buddy. We were making good time until you showed up. You wanna explain?"

The golem just stood its ground, but it did say something. "I am the Guardian of the Pathways of Fate. You will not be seeing the Sisters on my watch."

This got Nick angry. "Look, rock freak, if we don't see the Sisters, the world's going to be destroyed!! Now let us through or I'll carve you into a sculpture!!!"

"By order of the Sisters, I cannot allow you to pass," the Dark Golem repeated, raising its massive foot and aiming straight...

...for Yuki.

"Don't even!!!" Saiki exclaimed. _"Crescent Blade!!!"_

"_Speed Break!!!"_ Nick added, charging at supersonic speeds for the Dark Golem's foot with a powerful orange aura surrounding him. Both attacks combined forced the Golem off balance.

"Why won't you let us see the Sisters of Fate?" Momoko asked. "The world's going to end if we don't see them right away!!"

The Dark Golem chose to ignore this and thrust its fist straight for the yellow witch apprentice, who immediately put up a santen kesshun shield to repel the attack.

This, unfortunately, wasn't to be, as the rocky fist broke through the santen kesshun and slammed into Momoko, causing her to go careening into a nearby rock face. When she fell, Nick noticed a little line of blood coming from her mouth. She'd apparently been knocked clean out.

Nick began shaking with rage at this. Yuki was the first to notice that Nick's eyes had suddenly changed color. Fear immediately gripped the twilight witch's mind, as she knew what was about to happen.

"Nick-kun, please!!!" Yuki exclaimed, but too late. Nick had already transformed into his dark form and charged for the Dark Golem.

"Impressive, boy," the Dark Golem admitted, readying itself for Nick's attack, not expecting the boy to punch a gaping hole straight through its chest.

Nick took a step back and rose into the air, his eyes shining. Within the space of a few seconds, he'd unleashed the same fury attack he'd used to obliterate Gaul three months earlier, the purple energy ripples shattering the Dark Golem into pebbles.

Nick then turned towards the others, and Yuki knew that this was the part she was going to dread. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable attack.

She definitely didn't expect to have Nick softly caress her cheek.

"You okay, Yuki-chan?"

Yuki was confused. Why was Nick not attacking her like he had the last time he'd become this form?

"Something the matter?" Nick wondered. "Is there something on my face?"

"Nick-kun?" Yuki finally found her voice. "You can control those dark powers of yours?"

"Oh, this?" Nick answered. "This is nothing. Ever since I went crazy on you and Kurumi-chan back in the Well of Souls, I've been trying to adapt my body to the power of Convexity inside me so I don't flip out and try to kill you again. The only problem I have right now is that it's hard to voluntarily control when I transform into my Convexity form. I guess that when I saw Momoko get slammed into the wall like that, I got so angry that it just triggered the transformation. So, in short, I can't control when I transform, but I CAN control the power of Convexity. I'm not going to hurt you like that again, Yuki-chan. I promise."

Just then, Momoko walked up, wiping the blood off of her mouth. "I've been helping Nick control those Convexity powers of his ever since that day three months ago. He's actually been doing pretty well with it."

Nick nodded as he tossed his arms out and returned to normal. "Back to the business at hand, I wonder why that rock wouldn't let us pass?"

Saiki just shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. Though I remember something that Oyajide-san had told me about the Sisters of Fate, something about Guardians of their own who protected the path to the sisters. Maybe that golem thing was a Guardian..."

"That means we're a step closer to the Sisters," Nick stated. "We'd best get going."

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As the gang continued on their trek towards the Sisters of Fate, they eventually encountered someone else that was standing in their way.

Nick took this moment to study the next Guardian. He had extremely long silver hair, bright cyan eyes, and was carrying one hell of a long sword. There was also a massive black angel wing sprouting from his back.

"I guess we have to fight you to pass?" Nick asked. The man just nodded.

"They call me the One-Winged Angel," the man noted. "But you may call me Sephiroth."

Nick simply drew Hanyou Hikari. "Let's have a good battle."

Sephiroth grinned evilly, holding out his Masamune. "Let's."

(written by **YukiShinoya444**)

Saiki gulped as he watched the two charge for the other.

_I sure hope Nick-kun's alright... There's something a bit... I can't put my finger on it... I know he must have some sort of amazing power within him... Reminds me of Yuki-chan in a way..._

Almost instinctively, he grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly.

Yuki winced but smiled.

_Saiki-kun..._

She took a deep breath.

_But I'm worried about Nick-kun... I sure hope he can get his head in the game long enough for him to beat this guy..._

She shivered a bit.

_Something about him... It feels really scary... And I really don't like that one bit... Huh..._

Akari gasped a bit when the two collided blades, a drop of sweat running down her face.

_I-I... I have a bad feeling about this... It's so... frightening... I mean, I know he's gonna be okay... He's around Saiki-nii-chan's level, isn't he? That's right... He should be just fine... Still..._

"Akari-chan?"

Akari quickly looked over, facing Hinata's worried gaze.

"You okay?" she asked, a bit uncertain.

The light elemental blushed, quickly waving her hands.

"M-Me? N-N-No, I'm fine... Really, I am!!"

Hinata raised an eyebrow but she just nodded.

"...If you say so."

Cyndi looked over, making a face.

"Those two elementals..."

Akari just nodded.

_That's right... Hinata-chan believes in him, so I must... too! I'll believe in Nick!! Still... No, no, no!! Believe Akari, believe!_

She quickly perked up at the sound of the swords colliding again.

Akari looked over, her ruby red eyes sparkling.

"Nick... Please be okay... Yuki-chan and Saiki-kun would be so sad if you... If you..."

"Is THAT the reason why you're upset?!" Hinata gasped before giving her friend's shoulder a good smack.

"Ouch!" Akari complained, rubbing where Hinata had hit her.

"Hinata-chan, that's not nice!!"

"It's also not nice to doubt your friends!!" Hinata shot back, pretty peeved. "Akari-chan, Nick will be just fine! Trust him!"

Akari perked up.

_Trust... him...?_

Her eyes widened at the realization.

_That's right..._

A smile made its way through her delicate, cherry-pink lips.

"Okay!!"

_Yes... I gotta trust. Not just believe, but trust as well._

Nick huffed as he was pushed back, grinding his teeth in frustration.

_Shoot, this guy's tough!!_

"NICK-KUN!! Don't you DARE give up on me!!" Moriko hissed, tightening her fists at her sides. "Do I have to go over there and knock you out MYSELF?!"

"C-Calm down, Moriko-chan!!" Akemi pleaded, latching to the jade witch's arm. "That's quite enough!!"

"H-Hey, get off Akemi-chan..." her childhood friend starting, blushing quite deeply.

Akemi blinked once before flushing a deep shade of red herself, snapping off of her.

"I-I'm sorry..."

Hazuki giggled a bit. "That Akemi-chan..."

"Chummy as usual," Ichiyou stated, wrapping an arm around Haruka's shoulders, making her blush a bit.

"L-Leaf..."

Riiko and Yumi just looked at each other, and giggled themselves.

"Nick!! You can do it!!" Momoko exclaimed, waving her hand. "I believe in you!!"

"Hey, I believe in you too, Nick-kun!!" Yuki added, cheerfully grinning.

Kurumi blushed and sighed.

"And don't forget me," she winked. "Alright?"

Nick smiled at this.

_Momoko... Yuki-chan... Kurumi-chan... I definitely needed that._

"JUST LISTEN TO MORIKO-CHAN AND DON'T DIE!!" Aiko exclaimed, quite furiously.

"AI-CHAN!!" the others yelled.

Saiki sighed. "Some things never change..."

_Still... It's good so many people can push Nick-kun on whenever he's done... I couldn't imagine being relied on by someone other than Yuki-chan... or..._

He quickly shook his head, sighing.

_Onii-chan..._

The wizard bit his lip.

_It still hurts that he doesn't need me anymore... It's... a little lonesome..._

His grip loosened on Yuki's hand, making her perk up.

"Ne Saiki-kun, is something wrong? Saiki-kun?"

Her boyfriend quickly smiled, though it felt nothing less than fake.

"No, don't bother worrying about me, Yuki-chan."

_First priority... Yuki-chan's life is all that matters to me right now..._

His lips tightened.

_I need to remember that. I won't hurt her anymore._

Yuki looked concerned, but just nodded.

"Whatever you say, Saiki-kun."

_Is he... hiding something from me? Saiki-kun..._

She bit her lip.

_You know absolutely everything about me... And yet... I know little to nothing about you..._

A sigh escaped her lips.

_Don't you think that's a little unfair? I sure do._

She turned her attention back to Nick.

_Nick-kun..._

"The fight's barely over, you know."

"I know," Sephiroth smirked. "You fight well, boy... But is that your full and complete power?"

Nick flinched but took caution.

"Something tells me you're holding back, too..."

"It's not holding back."

"Huh..." He readied his sword, ready to clash with his Masamune yet again.

"Then we're not getting anywhere, are we?"

"Smart, for a brat."

"Well then..."

Nick smirked himself, grabbing Yuki's attention.

_Wait a minute...!! Nick-kun...?!_

The green witch laughed, raising Hanyou Hikari up high.

"Let's change that."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Not wasting any time, Nick brought out the seven Majokai Crystals. Sephiroth simply smirked at this as the crystals began to spin around Nick, eventually absorbing themselves into him and allowing Nick to transform into his super form.

All of a sudden, the energy radiating from Nick seemed to radiate over to Momoko and Doremi, transforming them into their own super forms.

Sephiroth grinned. "That's more like it, boy."

Nick nodded, raising Hanyou Hikari and charging forward at superluminal speeds. Nick slashed at Sephiroth a few times, all of which were easily blocked.

"Opportunity!!" Nick exclaimed, vaulting over Sephiroth quickly and striking the One-Winged Angel in the back. Nick then somersaulted away before Sephiroth could counter-attack.

Just then, in a move that easily surprised the others, Nick switched over to his Convexity form and shot a burst of dark energy for Sephiroth.

"Take this, freak show!! DARK FURY!!!" Nick exclaimed, unleashing his powerful Convexity fury attack, which caused some hefty damage, though Sephiroth still stood, the damage evident.

Sephiroth grinned. "Impressive."

"Man of few words, huh?" Nick responded. Switching back to his super form, Nick charged forwards and knocked Sephiroth aside.

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this!! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!!"_

Nick's special attack knocked Sephiroth back a few yards, but the One Winged Angel still stood, despite the damage he'd taken.

Sephiroth simply grinned. "You should realize that it's hopeless. Even if you defeat me, the darkness will call me back."

Nick shot a grin right back. "That would actually be fun. I haven't had a challenging battle since I obliterated Gaul."

Sephiroth raised his Masamune and struck so fast that Nick didn't even see it coming. Within the space of two seconds, Nick had been knocked to the ground, a large gash in his side.

"NICK-KUN!!!!" Yuki screamed, rushing towards Sephiroth, not hearing Saiki's exclamations.

"Now, say goodbye, boy," Sephiroth mocked, still keeping his calm composure.

"_Shadow Claw!!!"_

Just as Sephiroth was about to strike with what would have been a finishing blow, Yuki struck, slashing her arm forward and creating a set of dark energy claws that tore into Sephiroth's side, forcing him back.

"So, you wish to fight me as well," Sephiroth stated.

"I'm not going to sit there and let you slice Nick-kun to shreds, you one-winged freak!!!" Yuki exclaimed, helping Nick up and joining hands with him.

"_To the beings of hope..."_ Yuki chanted.

"_To the beings of spirit..."_ Nick continued.

"_Together with the ones that reside between light and dark, gather into our own hands and dispel the evil with our purity!!"_ both Nick and Yuki chanted, letting their arms rest around each other while drawing their free hands back.

"_Double Ojamajo Twilight Whirlwind!!"_

The massive whirlwind managed to knock Sephiroth away, but he picked himself up and charged...

...straight for Hana.

Before anyone could rush up to defend the white witch, though...

"Get away from my girlfriend, freak!! _Gravity Shot!!_"

Out of nowhere, a ball of purple energy thundered forward, enveloping Sephiroth and knocking him backwards.

Hana squealed as she noticed her boyfriend Kazuki Sasaki standing there.

"Not bad, little boy," Sephiroth admitted.

"There's more to it, freak show," Kazuki retorted, holding his hands out. _"White Whirlwind!!"_

A powerful gust of wind erupted from Kazuki's open hands and forced Sephiroth away from the girls.

"Why don't you do the honors, Nick-kun?" Kazuki asked.

"Be glad to, Kazuki-kun," Nick responded, switching his weapon with Nenshou Hikari.

"Take this, freak!! _Diamond Tempest!!!_"

Nick struck three times with his diamond-encased blade, and that was it for Sephiroth.

When the battlefield was clear, Hana quickly ran up and glomped Kazuki.

"IT'S SO GOOD to see you, Kazuki!!" Hana exclaimed.

"What's up, Kazuki-kun?" Saiki asked. "We don't usually see you around these parts..."

"I heard about what you guys were up to, and I figured you could use a little extra help," Kazuki answered.

"I guess it was just in time, too," Nick responded. "We'd best get moving. The Sisters of Fate shouldn't be too far from here."

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"This should be the place," Saiki noted.

Nick took a good look around; the entire place looked like a palace. Ahead, there were three thrones, most likely for the Sisters of Fate.

"Hello?" Nick exclaimed. "Is anyone here?"

(written by **YukiShinoya444**)

Nothing.

"HELLO?!" Moriko screamed at the top of her lungs, earning a desperate "shhh" from Akemi.

"Moriko-chan, don't yell!"

Saiki flickered his gaze to Yuki.

"They're here. I can sense them."

"Right you are, little prince."

A figure stepped from the curtains, holding a spindle in her hands.

"I see you got past our guardians..." she stated in a clear, but friendly voice, smiling. "It must be important."

Nick relaxed a bit, but Saiki remained tense.

"Kuro...sama."

Kuro laughed, twirling around her spindle.

"I remember you... The thread of your life was wound around another since birth... How lovely to see how much you've grown."

The younger prince seemed to falter completely, as if in defeat.

"S-Saiki-kun..." Yuki squeaked, startled. She quickly latched herself around his arm, as if for dear life.

"The young princess..." Kuro observed. "Her thread is too, wound around his..."

"Kuro-sama," Nick cut in, a little shaky from what just happened. "We need your help... Not just your help, but...

"Rachisu-sama and Aisa-sama too..." Saiki whispered in a strange, detached voice.

He clamped his hand around Yuki's shoulder, going back to tense.

"Even though they're supposed to be myths..." Cyndi observed, thoughtfully. "You appear to be well informed, night elemental."

Saiki didn't answer, earning a worried and somewhat hysterical glance from his girlfriend.

Kurumi frowned deeply.

_Even if my feelings were engineered... I can't stand seeing Saiki-kun like this..._

"Well then," Kuro stepped forward into the light, revealing her light green hair, curled into a ponytail with dark green eyes over a white robe. "What is it you wish to discuss with my sisters?"

Akari answered that question in a soft voice.

"Malefor. We need your help to defeat him."

"Ah..." Kuro's gaze turned apathetic. "So you're the ones..."

"So they're the ones..." a stone voice started, a flat monotone.

"Rachisu-sama..." Saiki whispered helplessly, shuddering a bit.

Rachisu walked out, revealing long, blue hair and cold sapphire eyes not to mention stem. She held a rod out, as if appearing to measure them.

"Very long," she deducted, smirking a bit. "Soothe yourselves."

Nick blinked, and took caution. Saiki held his hand out in front of him.

"Stop it, Nick-kun. You have no idea what Rachisu-sama or Aisa-sama are capable of. Your life is putty in their hands." he huffed, his free hand curled into a fist.

Nick looked confused, but nodded.

"Right, Saiki-kun..."

"Huh..." Rachisu smirked. "Flattery will not get your beloved a prolonged life, little prince."

Saiki flinched, but stayed calm.

_Every movement... Everything about them... It was all true... Yuki-chan... Yuki-chan..._

He quickly shook his head.

_No..._

"Are you going to help us?" Momoko asked, her eyes glimmering in confusion.

Rachisu's face grew cold gain.

"...Aisa?"

"Yes?" a low, flat voice answered, somehow sounding musical.

The final sister stepped out, and she was much more beautiful than her other two sisters. Her hair was a majestic purple, and held up in a high bun, while her eyes were a sparkling amethyst.

Despite that, her face was also stone.

Saiki immediately shivered, his eyes wide like a frightened rabbit.

"A...A...Aisa-sama..." he whispered in horror, causing Yuki to immediately tighten her grip around him, as if that could help.

_Saiki-kun... Saiki-kun..._

"Hmm... Nice to see someone finally afraid of death." Aisa smiled darkly. "Now, what's this about Malefor?"

"He's returned." Nick answered in a clear voice. "We came to request your help."

He bowed respectfully. "Please..."

"Ah..." Kuro's eyes lit up. "You are quite brave, young one."

"But," Rachisu cut in. "I'm sure you'll be able to pull this off with your friends..."

"Hmph." Aisa's frown deepened. "Learn to be patient first, boy."

Nick perked up.

"As if I hadn't already heard that..." he muttered, pointing to Saiki with his thumb.

The wizard looked a bit annoyed at that.

"It's true, Nick-kun."

"Saiki-kun..." Yuki murmured, burying her face in her boyfriend's chest.

_It's not right... There's something wrong._

"Anyway, can you help us?" Hinata asked, her voice turning forceful. "If you can, please do!!"

"I-I mean... the dragons sent us here..." Haruka started.

Ichiyou nodded. "Yeah! They said you could help!!"

The three sisters looked at one another, slowly debating on what they should do.

"Boy..." Aisa addressed Saiki, earning him to once again falter, shivering as if he were freezing.

At that, she smiled, though her eyes were still expressionless.

"Keep your cool, night elemental. Showing fear can be a good thing, but overcome it as well."

Saiki just nodded, though still worried.

"Well... Can you help?" Doremi asked, a little desperate.

Kazuki took Hana's hand.

"Stay close," he advised before grinning. "They'll help. Without a doubt."

Hana beamed. "Kazuki..."

Finally Kuro walked in front.

"Nick, was it...?"

Nick instantly perked up.

"Yes?"

Kuro closed her eyes, as if in thought.

"Explain to me and my sisters exactly what is going on."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

"Ah, I see," Kuro noted once Nick had finished explaining everything.

"The Guardian Dragons said that you could give us the power we need to stop Malefor once and for all," Nick asked. "Can you help us out with that?"

Kuro looked over at Aisa and Rachisu, who both nodded.

Kuro then turned back to Nick with a smile on her face. "Step forward."

Nick did as instructed, and Kuro held her spindle towards Nick, who began glowing with a bright light.

When Nick could see again, he didn't really feel much different, though he could feel an immense increase in his magical aura.

"When the time comes, you will know how to use this power," Aisa noted.

"Remember what we have told you and make good use of it," Rachisu continued.

Nick smiled. "Arigatou gozaimasu."

No sooner had Nick said that, however, then something came crashing through the ground of the Palace of Fate.

"Malefor!!" Kuro exclaimed, shifting into battle stance alongside her sisters.

"Well, well. Long time no see, Sisters of Fate," the pitch-black dragon taunted. "I see you've been talking to the brats."

"Been a while, dragon boy," Nick shot back, Hanyou Hikari at the ready.

"It will not be much longer before this world is no more," Malefor sneered. "You had best prepare to die."

With that said, Malefor rose into the air, and took off through the skylight of the palace. Once the dark dragon was out of sight, the skies above turned a dark red.

"Quickly, everyone!!" Rachisu exclaimed. "You must follow Malefor! It appears that he is heading for the Sacred Temple!"

"The Sacred Temple?!" Aisa nearly screamed. "He must now be allowed to defile that place!!"

"I've got this covered," Nick replied, bringing out the Majokai Crystals and letting them circle around him.

The Sisters of Fate watched in awe as the crystals eventually absorbed themselves into Nick, transforming him into his super form.

"Malefor wants to take it to the sky, then? He's asking for it now!!" Nick exclaimed, rising up and shooting off after Malefor like a streak.

"DAMN IT, NICK-KUN, DON'T FREAKING LEAVE US HERE LIKE FLOPPING FISH!!!!" Moriko exclaimed, to which everyone, even the Sisters, sweatdropped.

"You must follow your friend if you wish to catch up with him," Kuro stated, pointing towards a passageway that led towards the Sacred Temple over the horizon. "This pathway is the quickest route to the Sacred Temple. That is where they are headed."

"RIGHT!!!" everyone exclaimed, rushing down the pathway.

Before Yuki could follow her friends, Kuro signaled for her to hold on.

"Listen well, twilight witch... something may happen to the blonde girl in this battle that approaches," Kuro stated.

"You mean Momo-chan?" Yuki wondered. "What's going to happen to her?"

"We do not really know..." Rachisu answered. "The Loom of Fate has an unknown thread weaved into it. All we know is that something MAY happen to her. If it does, you must protect the boy."

"Nick-kun, right?" Yuki asked, to which Aisa nodded.

"Now go with your friends," Aisa noted. "We are counting on you."

Yuki nodded, rushing after the others.

_What did Kuro-sama mean, something may happen to Momo-chan?_ Yuki thought. _Whatever it is, if Malefor's involved, it can't be good. If something does happen to Momo-chan, I don't know how Nick-kun would take it..._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Malefor looked out over the horizon as he continued his flight towards the Sacred Temple, laughing evilly as most psychopathic evil villains are prone to do.

"Once the Sacred Temple is under my control, nothing will be able to stop me from covering this world in darkness," Malefor growled, still laughing evilly.

Just then, an energy ball flew out of nowhere and struck Malefor, doing a bit of damage. The dark dragon whipped around and noticed that Nick was flying after him.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" Malefor sneered.

"You're not going any further, Malefor," Nick shot back. "This ends here and now."

"Oh, really?" Malefor taunted. "I'd like to see you try."

Not wasting a single second, Malefor slashed at Nick with his dragon claws, the green witch just barely dodging in time as he readied his weapon.

"WHOA!! Okay, THAT'S a new one on me," Nick noted as he gripped Hanyou Hikari tightly.

As Malefor readied another slash attack, Nick blocked the strike with Hanyou Hikari, then quickly jumped back.

"_Aura Crescent_!!"

Malefor raised his wings to block the attack, but still took quite a bit of damage.

"I see you have improved as well, boy," Malefor noted. "This shall be an interesting battle indeed."

Nick looked ahead; there was the Sacred Temple, in plain sight.

"What say we end this, boy?" Malefor grinned through his dragon teeth. Nick just nodded, descending towards the Sacred Temple as a heavy downpour began.

Once both of them had landed, Nick disengaged his super form. "Wouldn't want it to be TOO unfair now, wouldn't we?"

"Good point, boy," Malefor responded.

However, before Malefor could prepare his attack, Nick had disappeared.

"Where did you...?!"

Suddenly, Malefor heard a mighty battle cry from above. The dark dragon looked up and saw Nick descending towards him at a rapid pace, Hanyou Hikari glowing brightly.

"_Heavenly Blade_!!!" Nick exclaimed, calling on the power that the Sisters of Fate had granted him. Not giving Malefor a chance to counter-attack, Nick drove his blade into Malefor's back, causing the dark dragon to scream in agony as the entire area was engulfed in a blinding flash.

When Nick could see again, he noticed that there was a man of about 25 standing there. He looked quite similar to Morticon's human form, only without the horns on his head. He had pure black eyes, and was carrying a curved blade. He also had Malefor's dragon wings sprouting from his back.

"You actually thought my dragon persona was my true self?" Malefor taunted. "This is who I truly am. No more holding back."

"I could say the same," Nick replied, holding Hanyou Hikari in front of him. "Let's do this."

(written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"STUPID NICK-KUN!!" Moriko screamed as they continued running. "WHY THE HELL DID KAMI-SAMA MAKE HIM SO _FAST_?!?!"

"Moriko-chan, calm down..." Akemi mused, looking about.

_But... Still..._

Her eyes fluttered shut, sighing.

_I sure hope... Nick-kun..._

She bit her lip.

_...is...alright..._

"Hey... Kurumi-chan?"

"Hm?"

Kurumi looked at the crystal witch, hair flowing in the wind behind her.

"What is it, Akemi-chan?"

Akari and Hinata both perked up, confused.

"Eh?"

Akemi gulped, eyes glittering as her cheeks turned a rosy shade.

"Eeto... I was wondering... If Kurumi-chan...?"

Her blush deepened, and she quickly turned away.

"If... You... You still have feelings for Nick-kun..."

"Huh?!"

Kurumi flustered, and let out a 'hah'.

"You're overreacting Akemi-chan."

"Then maybe for Saiki-kun?" Akemi suggested meekly, barely looking up.

The gray witch groaned.

"Those feelings weren't even real."

_I was only attracted to him... Because with my control of the element of moonlight..._

She seemed to falter, her shoulders drooping as she continued her steady pace.

_And he was a night elemental..._

Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she bit her lip.

_Something just clicked. But... With Nick-kun... Just another unrequited attraction. Saiki-kun didn't see me because his eyes were only for Yuki-chan..._

She immediately perked up, her heart pounding at the thought of the black witch's name.

_...Yuki-chan?!_

Kurumi snapped her head to behind her, watching the concern on her look-alike's cute face.

_Yuki-chan... Great... Now I think I like..._

"Yuki-chan is something wrong?"

"Hm?"

Yuki perked up, quickly glancing at Saiki. She couldn't help but just smile.

"Un. I'm a little worried is all... about... what... nothing."

Her boyfriend looked surprised and quickly looked forward.

"I can sense Nick-kun... We better pick up the pace."

The black witch blushed, nodding.

"Okay."

_I sure hope Kuro-sama was wrong... About Momo-chan, I mean._

She shook her head, turning her big brown eyes to the yellow witch up ahead, and a sigh escaped her lips.

_Nick-kun... Despite everything... I don't want to lose you again... You're such a special friend to me... Huh..._

She suddenly laughed, confusing Saiki.

"Yuki-chan?"

_Even though I love Saiki-kun so much... I love you too, Nick-kun! You can't hear me, but I love you._

_Don't ever give up._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Nick blocked the attack, huffing.

"This may take a while."

Malefor merely smirked.

Nick grinned back.

_Alright, then._

"NICK!!"

_Huh?_

"Momoko!!" Nick called out, immediately spinning around to face his girlfriend...

But he stopped.

_What?_

The green witch rubbed his eyes, and they widened in pure shock.

_No..._

Momoko noticed, and her smile faded.

"Ni... Nick?"

"What's with that look on his face?" Hinata wondered. Akari shrugged. Cyndi let out a light sigh.

"...I don't understand."

Saiki's eyelids lowered as he focused.

_Nick-kun... What's up with the energy surrounding you like that?_

His coal eyes widened in surprise.

_No way..._

"N-Nick-kun?" Yuki's voice wavered. "Nick-kun?"

_I just realized I loved you... Not like I love Saiki-kun... But... Why? Why are you looking at Momo-chan like that?_

Nick just stood in shock, seeming absent from the world.

"Nick?" Momoko asked again, concern in her voice.

"What's up with Kellysi-chan?" Doremi wondered, completely confused.

"He looks so tense..." Poppu observed, holding her chin.

"Not to mention, afraid..." Haruka started.

"...of Momo-chan." Ichiyou finished, biting her lip. "I don't get it."

"Get behind me." Saiki muttered to Yuki, holding his arm out as if to prevent her from coming any closer.

"Saiki-kun?"

Yuki looked confused but obeyed, clinging on to his back.

_I don't understand... I really don't._

"OI KELLYSI-CHAN?! DO YA NOT RECOGNIZE MOMO-CHAN OR SOMETHING?!?!" Aiko exclaimed, furious. "ARE YA _KIDDIN'_ ME?!"

Nick just looked down, still in shock from what he saw.

_Momoko... Momoko..._

"Nick-kun?" Kurumi drooped, confused. "What's wrong with you?"

Yuki's eyes suddenly widened, and she cringed into Saiki's back.

"...Yuki-chan?" Saiki frowned in worry. "Yuki-chan... Come on... Yuki-chan... Yuki-chan..."

The black witch shivered, as if in fear.

_S-Saiki-kun... Nick-kun... He's..._

"...Yuki, please."

Yuki instantly snapped up at the intimate way he said her name, her face flushed as she looked up.

"Sa... Saiki-kun..."

He's never once called anyone by name... I've always been 'Yuki-chan' to him... Did he just really call me 'Yuki'?

"Yuki..." he started again, patting her head. "Come on, be strong."

Yuki's eyes widened.

"Saiki-kun..."

She blushed, and smiled.

"We need to help Nick-kun."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Nick looked back at Malefor, everything falling into place.

"So, you know, then?" Malefor sneered. "You understand?"

"One look was all it took," Nick responded, confusing the others. "This is your doing, isn't it, Malefor?"

"It wasn't easy, breaking into the Loom Chamber," Malefor admitted. "But the girl before you is doomed. The Loom of Fate decrees it."

"That's only because you weaved your OWN threads into the Loom, you freak!!" Nick shot back. "You can't just go messing with other people's destiny!!"

"How quickly you forget, boy," Malefor taunted. "I hold all the cards here. There is no way you're going to win!!"

As if responding to his own proclamation, Malefor began glowing with a black aura. Nick immediately noticed that Malefor's eyes were fixed on Momoko.

Yuki must have noticed this, too, because the black witch raced over to where Momoko was, pushing the yellow witch away just in time.

Unfortunately for Yuki, Malefor's attack struck her instead of its intended target, the shards of dark energy slashing mercilessly at the black witch.

Nick immediately spun around at this, noticing the damage that Yuki had taken.

"Yuki-chan, why'd you do that?!" Momoko exclaimed. "I could have handled that easily!!"

"We... we make our own destinies," Yuki stated. "That's... one thing... that Malefor... will never understand..."

Nick turned back to Malefor, anger in his brown eyes. "You are SERIOUSLY going to pay for that. You just hurt someone very precious to me. You really thought I'd just let you get away with it?!"

Malefor simply grinned. "It was her choice to deal with my power."

"_Heavenly Blade!!!"_ Nick exclaimed, Hanyou Hikari glowing with the same otherworldly power he'd used before. "Now you're going down, Malefor!!"

Not wasting a single second, Nick charged forward, swinging his shining blade and slashing Malefor across the chest. This single attack caused quite a hefty toll of damage.

"Worthless brat," Malefor sneered. "Do you not know when to succumb to what is weaved in the Loom of Fate?"

"No offense to the Sisters of Fate, but to hell with the Loom!!" Nick exclaimed, surprising and nearly shocking Saiki. "I've always believed that we make our own destinies!! Living life by my own standards and not the standards of those around me... that's the principle I've lived my whole life by!! I'm not going to throw it away just because of you!!"

"Very well," Malefor taunted. "I see you shall not be persuaded... I suppose it is for the best, then."

With that, Malefor rose into the sky, glowing with immense dark power.

"Let us see how long you will survive against my full power!!!" Malefor screamed, dark angel wings emerging from his back.

Momoko quickly ran up to Nick after making a quick stop to heal the damaged Yuki. "Nick? Is everything okay?"

"No hard feelings, right?" Nick asked. Momoko smiled, then nodded. "What do you say we teach this freak a little lesson in writing our own destinies?"

Momoko grinned. "I'd love to."

The couple joined hands and began glowing with a bright silver light. The aura surrounding the two was immense, and it nearly blinded the others for a few seconds.

Saiki was the first to notice what was going on, and so, he was the first to notice that Nick and Momoko had just sprouted two pairs of silver angel wings. And those wings looked very familiar to Saiki...

"The Elemental Angels..." Saiki whispered. This simple statement seemed to actually surprise Malefor.

"What?!" the dark prophet exclaimed. "The Elemental Angels?! They are just a myth!!"

"Wrong, dragon boy," Nick shot back, grinning like mad. "You're looking at them right now."

Momoko did a little twirl, her wings flapping in the breeze of the aura surrounding them. "Just Nick, me..."

Just then, Kurumi rushed up, having sprouted her own angel wings. "...and Kurumi makes three!!"

"This isn't possible!!" Malefor exclaimed, not being able to believe what he was seeing. "The prophecies only foretold the coming of TWO Elemental Angels!!"

The emergence of another burst of light caught everyone's attention. Saiki was the first to realize that the new light was coming from the seemingly-asleep Yuki.

"I made a promise..." Yuki stated, floating into the air and joining Nick, Momoko, and Kurumi. "I won't let the likes of you stop me from keeping that promise!!"

The light coming from Yuki continued to brighten until the entire Sacred Temple was covered in it.

"For you, Saiki-kun... and for you, Nick-kun... I WILL DO ANYTHING!!!"

When the light finally died down, Malefor noticed that Yuki had sprouted her own angel wings.

Nick couldn't help but laugh. Malefor was in SO much trouble now...

"Four Elemental Angels against one dark dragon freak..." Yuki assessed.

"Sorry, buddy, but you're WAY outmatched here!!" Kurumi taunted.

"You know you can't win this, Malefor," Momoko teased.

"I'm sorry to say it, but you're finished now," Nick stated.

With that, the four all shifted into battle stances, ready to put an end to the madness.

(written by **YukiShinoya444**)

Malefor growled, flying back.

"Don't be so cocky, boy."

The four Elemental Angels just grinned at each other.

"Kurumi-chan, let's start." Yuki sang, holding her hand out for the gray witch.

She nodded, smiling brightly, and they joined hands.

"Yuki, just be sure to draw on your twilight element..." Saiki couldn't help but murmur. His girlfriend turned to him, and winked.

"No worries, Saiki-kun!!"

"Mugen!! _Infinite_!" Kurumi exclaimed, forming her usual silver-colored energy, which glowed even more radiantly than usual.

"Mugen!! _Fantasy_!" Yuki chanted, clapping to form her traditional twilight energy.

Their energies joined as they connected hands, glowing with a brilliant silvery white light.

"_With enough love to make makkura to sakugan, we'll balance out our ill-fated future with purity from our past innocence!!"_

They tossed out their hands as they pulled each other close.

"_Double Ojamajo Time Swift!!"_

Malefor roared at the discharged electric blue energy, and cursed at the incredible contact.

"Sugoi!!" Kurumi couldn't help but exclaim. "Our Elemental Angel powers must have magnified the attack!"

"There's something else..." Yuki started, thoughtfully. Kurumi stared at her look-alike in confusion.

"Uh, what is it, Yuki-chan?"

"The _Time Swift_... The power increased as if someone was really into it... I didn't mean for it to be that powerful, but who's complaining?"

At that, Kurumi flushed.

_Yuki-chan's hand... Holding it like that was so warm and comforting... I must of gotten really excited from it._

Her eyelids lowered, and she smiled.

_That settles it. I love that girl. It's weird, but I love her._

"Kurumi-chan?"

The gray witch quickly smiled, earning a slight blush from Yuki.

"Um..."

"It's nothing, Yuki-chan!! Thank you for worrying!"

Yuki couldn't help but smile back at that.

_Kurumi-chan!!_

"Okay you two, let us continue," Momoko giggled, joining hands with Nick as they both began glowing with a rainbow light.

Malefor actually looked shocked. "No..."

"Yes!" Kazuki couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes growing starry. "This is so cool!!"

Hana couldn't help but giggle at this. "Kazuki..."

"_The souls of purifying thunder..."_ Momoko chanted.

"_The glimmer of purifying light..."_ Nick continued.

Nick and Momoko held their hands tighter than anyone seemingly had a right to.

"_Lend us your wills and give us the power to grant an everlasting miracle!!"_

Nick and Momoko's eyes closed as they concentrated all of their magical powers into unleashing their final attack.

"_The purity of our beautiful souls..."_ Momoko chanted.

"_...shall crush the boundaries of your heart of darkness!!"_ Nick finished as the two drew their hands back.

Malefor cursed, and the rest of the Ojamajos cheered.

"Come on, Nick!!" Ichiyou exclaimed. "You can do it!!"

Hinata nodded. "Super awesome!"

Akari smiled brightly. "I really do believe in them both..."

"_Double Ojamajo Sparkle Screw..."_

Yuki and Kurumi quickly looked at each other, and joined hands in prayer.

"_...MAXIMUM!!!!"_

With that call, the two lovers thrust their hands forward, discharging an immense energy beam that was as massive as the skyscrapers that dotted the area.

With the beam dispersed, the group were surprised to see Malefor still standing. He shuddered, but clenched his teeth in fury.

Saiki suddenly smirked.

"He's finished. There's no doubt about it."

Yuki perked up and beamed.

"Alright then, minna! Let's do it!"

Momoko and Nick nodded, holding their hands out. Yuki and Kurumi nodded at each other before placing their hands on theirs. They soon closed their eyes in concentration, but also in relaxation.

"_Moments that are like precious treasures that I want to go on collecting..."_ Yuki chanted, glowing a bright black.

"_Without revealing that irremovable wound in my heart, somehow managing to stay strong..."_ Kurumi continued, glowing a silvery gray.

"_Waiting for your delicate embrace, somehow managing to hold onto that wonderful happiness we shared..."_ Momoko chanted, glowing a golden yellow.

"_Until in the end, we can all get that well-deserved happy ending_," Nick finished, glowing a brilliant emerald green.

They all threw their hands up, their aura mixing as Malefor just continued to watch in shock.

"_Without complexities, without fading and faltering, grant us the blessing and wish for something that is surely better than this ill-determined fate!!"_

They got close, their auras all pulsing like never before.

"_Ojamajo Perfect Purification!!"_

With that, the four Elemental Angels discharged their massive rainbow-colored beam, consuming Malefor in a bright light white like earlier. When the light faded, and Malefor was gone for good, they all fell to the ground below, obviously beat from the battle.

"Yuki-chan!!" Saiki couldn't help but exclaim, rushing to his girlfriend's aid.

Yuki mustered enough strength to give her beloved boyfriend one last smile before she glowed, reverting back to her original form.

The other three reverted back as well, taking in deep breaths.

Saiki held Yuki up straight, and she threw her arms around him.

"Saiki-kun, I love you!!"

He couldn't help but laugh at that, returning the embrace.

"I love you too, Yuki-chan."

"Nick! Way to go!!" Cyndi exclaimed, flying towards them. "Malefor's gone. Hopefully for good."

Nick couldn't up but laugh, getting to his feet as he helped Momoko up.

"But knowing me, we'll find a new enemy in the next month."

Momoko giggled at that, kissing Nick's cheek.

Hinata and Akari rushed up to help Kurumi to her feet.

"That was AMAZING Yuki-chan!!" Hinata exclaimed, throwing her arms around the black witch.

Akari just hugged Kurumi. "You too, Kurumi-chan."

Both girls just returned the embraces, laughing.

"Thanks."

Kazuki held up his thumb. "I give you a 110, Nick-kun!! That was just too cool."

Hana glomped his arm. "Aw, Kazuki!!"

Moriko huffed. "Well, it's Nick-kun. I never doubted him from the start."

"Really?" Doremi asked, confused.

Poppu just huffed. "Geez, Onee-chan."

Fami just giggled at that. "Doremi-chan..."

"Moriko-chan, I bet you were the most worried out of all of us." Akemi laughed, earning the jade witch to flush red.

"A-Akemi-chan, you..!!"

She stopped, taking Akemi's face, surprising her.

"E-Eh...?"

She hugged her childhood friend tightly.

"M-Moriko-chan..."

"Did I ever tell you how much I loved you, Akemi-chan?"

Akemi's eyes widened, and she smiled, burying her face in Moriko's shoulders.

"I love you too, Moriko-chan."

Haruka and Ichiyou just laughed.

"Good for them," Riiko stated, for which Yumi just nodded.

"Definitely!"

Hazuki adjusted her glasses. "How fascinating..."

"Hazuki-chan..." Aiko and Onpu started at the same time.

"Say, Nick-kun?"

"Hm?" Nick turned around, smiling. "What is it, Saiki-kun?"

"About what you said earlier about the Loom..." Saiki started, closing his eyes.

"It's true." Nick huffed, folding his arms. "Saiki-kun..."

The wizard's eyes jolted open, and he gave the green witch a good punch in the face, shocking everyone.

"S-Saiki-kun!!" Yuki squeaked, but Saiki quickly held up a hand to signal 'wait a moment'.

Momoko glared at him, but he ignored it.

"Nick-kun..." he stated in a clear voice. "_That_ kind of thinking is going to get you killed one day. Please learn how to be more patient."

"Did you HAVE to punch me?!" Nick exclaimed, fists clenching.

Yuki's arms quickly spread out in a protective stance in front of Saiki, but he just continued like nothing happened.

"Nick-kun, it's like I'm talking to a brick wall... You're never going to change your ways, are you?"

Nick just stared at him, not quite getting it.

Saiki smiled then, shaking his head.

"Nick-kun, I have got to admit. I haven't relied on this one person as much as I have on Onii-chan. What you said back there, was the bravest thing I ever heard."

Nick looked surprised, and Momoko blinked in confusion. Suddenly, her boyfriend frowned, looking down regrettably.

"And here I thought we could be friends like before... Didn't see that coming."

Yuki looked up at Saiki cautiously, and he shook his head.

"You think I still don't forgive you for the time you attacked Yuki-chan... Listen Nick-kun, you're fine the way you are. I've told Yuki-chan this before, and I'm sure... Besides, you remind me a bit of Onii-chan himself."

Nick's jaw dropped. "You gotta be kidding. Akatsuki-kun's like, the most _patient_ person on the planet!!"

"Not when we were kids." Saiki stated matter-of-factly before holding out his hand. "Truce?"

Nick blinked, and grinned, the two shaking hands.

"Truce."

Saiki nodded, grinning back.

"Good. Thanks for protecting Yuki-chan when I couldn't."

"Thank _you_ for influencing her the way you did. Yuki-chan's one special girl."

"I know that."

Yuki blushed like crazy at this statement, and Saiki grabbed her hand.

"Come on, we still got business to do."

Yuki casted one look at Nick.

"Just one second." She muttered. "Nick-kun?"

Nick perked up.

"Yes, Yuki-chan?"

Yuki smiled.

"I love you."

(Written by **S.P.D. Gold Ranger**)

Needless to say, Nick was DEFINITELY not expecting THAT.

His first reflex was to look over at Momoko, who was smiling. Then, he looked over at Saiki, who just shrugged as if to say 'go for it'.

Nick began reflecting on the times and adventures he and Yuki had shared...

"_You're true to your word, right Nick-kun?"_

_"You remind me of my dear Saiki-kun."_

_"...and for you, Nick-kun... I WILL DO ANYTHING!!!"_

_"Hai. Friends forever."_

_"There's you, who had done who knows what to Nick-kun, the second person who ever believed in me, and I don't take you doing that to ANYONE lightly."_

_'Nick... I'm...'_

_"Okay, I trust you!"_

_"Nick-kun, please!!!"_

_"That's for being such an incredible friend to me... and you didn't need to be."_

After all had been said and done, Nick knew of only one thing to say. He quickly looked over at Momoko and Saiki again, and they both just nodded.

That settled, Nick turned back to the twilight witch.

"I love you, too, Yuki-chan."

Yuki just nodded, leaning in to connect her lips with Nick's for a few seconds.

"Though you know I love Saiki-kun so much more... I still love you in my own special way, Nick-kun. You and Saiki-kun really touched my heart this past year, and we've had adventures that I know I'll never forget, EVER. It's just been so wonderful being with you and Saiki-kun through it all."

Yuki was about to lean in for another kiss, when an explosion rocked the area around the Ojamajos, and a sinister laughter resounded... one that was very familiar to everyone present.

"Wait... is that...?!!" Yuki exclaimed.

"No way..." Nick wondered.

Nick turned around, just barely avoiding a swipe from a very familiar long sword.

"GAUL!!!" Momoko exclaimed. Indeed, Gaul the Ape King was standing there, though he definitely looked worse for wear. Apparently, whatever had resurrected him hadn't done a very good job.

"How can you still be here?!" Nick nearly screamed. "I obliterated you!!"

Gaul simply laughed. "I was granted this last duel by the Fates. Malefor was kind enough to re-weave my thread of the Loom in case he needed backup. Soon, my master will rejoin me and we can return to ruling this world together!!"

Nick had to fight down a laugh. "I hate to break it to you, ape boy, but Malefor's dead."

This shocked Gaul. "No... that isn't possible!!"

This time, it was Saiki who had to fight down a laugh. "I'm afraid it's true. Malefor's aura has completely faded. He's done for."

"You WRETCHES!!!" Gaul exclaimed, swinging his swords, each strike easily blocked by Nick and Yuki.

"HOW THE HELL IS HE STILL HERE?!!" Aiko exclaimed.

"Let's worry about that later, okay, Ai-chan?" Nick responded, ducking under a lateral strike from Gaul's blades.

Yuki quickly rolled out of the way of an overhead strike and focused her attention on Gaul.

"_The waves of my beautiful love, take this!! Ojamajo Twilight Storm!!"_

With that call, Yuki thrust her palms forward and launched what appeared to be an upgraded version of her Ojamajo Twilight Rain attack. Swirls of twilight energy beams shot forward and slashed mercilessly at Gaul.

"My turn!!" Nick exclaimed, rolling forward and drawing his hand back.

_"The bow and string of a really impatient boy, take this!! Ojamajo Tempest Arrow!!"_

Nick thrust his hand forward and launched what appeared to be an upgraded Ojamajo Arrow of Light. The emerald beam of energy was now surrounded by an aura of twilight that only doubled the damage Gaul took on contact.

Having had enough playing around, Nick rolled over to Yuki, quickly joining hands with her.

"No... my dark power is insurmountable!!" Gaul proclaimed.

"Yuki-chan, dear, how about we show this freak what the power of darkness can REALLY do in the hands of the light?" Nick asked, to which Yuki nodded.

Not wasting any time, Nick quickly switched into his Convexity form, and Yuki began glowing with a powerful aura that blended darkness and twilight. Her clothes seemed to shine in the wake of the aura.

The two rose into the air, dark energy and twilight energy surrounding them in droves.

Just as Gaul began a final charge, Nick made the first move, throwing his arms outwards and unleashing his Dark Fury attack, At the exact same time, Yuki concentrated the twilight energy around her into her fist, and then slammed it onto the ground, creating a massive wave of twilight energy that thundered towards Gaul.

Weak as the Ape King currently was, he was no match for the intense attack, and was blown to bits by the energy discharges.

Once the battlefield was clear, Nick switched back to his normal self. Yuki just smiled brightly.

"Okay, now that THAT'S settled... NOW we can all head home," Nick stated.

"Yeah!! I want to go home, too!!" Cyndi exclaimed, having just flown in.

"Hey, Cyndi-chan!!" Nick exclaimed. "Sorry if we kinda left you out of all the fun..."

"That's all right, Nick!" Cyndi giggled. "I'm just glad that Malefor is done for. The world is safe for another time!"

"Yeah, but knowing my track record, there's probably gonna be someone even worse than Malefor coming after me soon enough," Nick groaned.

"It's okay, Nick-kun!" Yuki stated, squeezing Nick's hand softly. "Whatever DOES happen, we'll face it together. Because we'll be friends forever, right?"

Nick could only nod as Yuki leaned up to give him another kiss.

Saiki just smiled. "That's Yuki-chan, affectionate as always..."

"All right, everybody, let's head home!!" Yuki exclaimed, still gently squeezing Nick's hand.

(written by **YukiShinoya444**)

"So... What now?" Yuki asked, still tugging on Nick's hand as the group walked down the path to home. "Our adventure's over... For now, right?"

"Like I said, who knows?" Nick shrugged, patting the top of the black witch's head.

"Only time can tell."

"Well... Hinata-chan and I should get back to our training, but..." Akari smiled brightly. "But, I suppose..."

Hinata grinned. "I suppose we could stay... Just a little bit longer."

"What about you two?" Yumi asked Ichiyou and Haruka, who both just shrugged.

"Well... Needless to say, we SHOULD get back to our cruise... But..."

Ichiyou smiled, finishing Haruka's statement.

"BUT, there are plenty of things we haven't learned yet in Japan... There's a surprise, I guess."

"Is it really?" Riiko asked, giggling. "I'm glad, that it's all over."

"Hana-chan, we need to fix everything back at the Majokai..." Fami started, shrugging. "We need to fix the damage Gaul did... Now that he's finally gone."

"Kazuki's coming with us!!" Hana exclaimed, squeezing her boyfriend's arm.

Kazuki had to fight down a laugh. "Whatever you want, Hana-chan. Hey, maybe next time we go on a date, we can choose a time where the Smiling Moon won't ruin it."

"Hana-chan couldn't agree more!!"

Doremi laughed herself. "Oh, Hana-chan's growing up so fast..."

"It can't be helped," Aiko stated, seeming content for whatever reason.

Hazuki nodded. "Yeah..."

Yuki's hand tightened around Nick's. "Hey... Nick-kun?"

"Hm? What is it, Yuki-chan?"

"Do you think... Do you think it's possible to marry two people?"

"Huh?!" Nick blushed like crazy. "W-Why would you ask that, Yuki-chan?!"

Saiki shook his head. "Just stop... There's only so much I can take."

"Oh, Saiki-kun!!" Yuki exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise. "I was _kidding_!"

"Sheesh, Yuki-chan..."

Kurumi giggled before she realized something.

"Hey wait a minute... How come I'm the only one who doesn't get any love?!"

"What's that mean, Kurumi-chan?" Poppu asked, a little confused.

Akemi and Moriko looked at each other, and they both blushed. Normally, this was common for Akemi, but Moriko... Not so much.

"K-Kurumi-chan..."

"I mean, three unrequited loves really bring a girl down..." Kurumi sighed deeply, folding her arms. "Will I ever find the one?"

Yuki blinked for a few moments before smiling.

"Don't worry, Kurumi-chan. He's out there."

"Or she." Kurumi laughed a bit. "I love you too, Yuki-chan."

The black witch blushed. "Um... I love you as well... But, I think that's more in a sisterly way. I'm sorry."

The gray witch just smiled. "That's just fine."

"Kurumi-chan, you'll do fine." Poppu stated. "I'm sure you will."

"Thanks, Poppu-chan."

"Huh... I'm in love with two guys... And just maybe one girl... Don't you think that's a little strange?" Yuki couldn't help but wonder aloud.

"It is." Nick agreed. "But hey, that's why I love you, Yuki-chan."

"Oh Nick-kun..."

Just as the two leaned in for a kiss, Saiki reached out and pulled Yuki away from Nick, holding her close.

"U-Um, Saiki-kun??" Yuki stammered, blushing a deep red.

"Like I said, Yuki-chan. I can't take much more of this." Saiki shook his head. "Don't think just because I respect you doesn't mean I'll let you kiss my girlfriend whenever you want."

"No complaints," Nick couldn't help but state as Momoko took his arm.

Saiki just smiled. "Have fun with him, Momoko-chan."

Momoko smiled back. "Will do, Saiki-kun."

"What now, Momoko?" Nick wondered, now a little confused.

"I guess the two of them are like partners in crime..." Yuki laughed, though this was immediately halted when Saiki stroked her cheek.

"_Yuki-chaaaan_..." he chanted softly, his tone playful. "Keep this up, and I won't able to afford being nice anymore."

The black witch blushed, but smiled. "I'm not complaining... I actually won't mind if you make me yours."

Her boyfriend smirked at that, and gently pressed his lips to hers. It certainly didn't take long for Yuki to return it.

Nick smiled at the sight. "Hey, Momoko..."

Momoko gave him a quick peck on the lips. "You don't need to say anything. I still love you."

"I love you too, Momoko."

Yuki and Saiki quickly separated. "Oh, right!! Nick-kun!!"

"What is it, Yuki-chan?"

Yuki winked, pointing her finger. "The second Saiki-kun and I are married, you be our best man!! Kurumi-chan will be our maid of honor... Momo-chan will catch the bouquet! Don't spoil it by now showing!"

Saiki sweated a bit. "Yuki-chan... You still... haven't gotten that out of your system..."

"Eh? What happened to you calling me just 'Yuki'? It wasn't long before, I thought... That soon..."

At that, he flushed red, backing away.

"Yuki-chan, you really are losing it!! I called you that on a whim, okay? I'm sorry for being so impolite..."

Yuki kissed his cheek. "Don't be," she whispered before silencing him completely.

Nick and Momoko just laughed.

"Some things never change."

Yuki smiled brightly before grinning.

"Come on, we still have unfinished business, don't we?"

(Note: And it's finally OVER... Almost. Here's the ending sequence, "Hitohira no Hanabira" by Stereo Pony!)

_hitohira no hanabira ga yurete iru boku no tonari de ima_

_(A single flower pedal brushes against my skin)_

(Footage: We pan out on the group as sakura pedal fly through the area. Akari suddenly catches one and stares at it as it flies off her palm.)

_machigatta koi datta sonna koto omoitaku wa nai_

_(I just don't want to believe that our romance was a mistake.)_

(Footage: The same sakura pedal flies away from Akari and she just smiles, Hinata walking up and putting an arm around her shoulders. Yuki then runs up to Nick, and they join hands yet again. At the instrumental, we pan up to the sky where the moon is seen, and flower pedals fly across the screen again, followed by a shooting star.)

_heiki datte sugu gaman shiteta no wa kitto bokutachi no warui took_

_(We've all got a bad, bad habit of saying everything's fine and just bottling it up...)_

(Footage: We pan across the screen, showing the group, all looking thoughtful. Yuki glances back at Saiki, and he seems to be thinking. Her expression turns worried.)

_itsumo issho ni itaitte omotteta no ni surechigai wa genjitsu wo kaeta_

_(I've always thought about how I wanted to be with you forever, but isn't it strange how we just don't see eye to eye?)_

(Footage: Saiki notices her gaze and just smiles. Yuki looks relieved, and smiles back. This earns Nick to look at Momoko, and smile himself.)

_deatta hi no you na ano yawaraka na egao datte_

_(I always assumed I could make you smile in that soft gentle way of yours.)_

(Footage: Kazuki and Hana are seen following Fami through the Majokai. The couple appear to be discussing future plans when Fami looks back at them. We pan in to her face, and she smiles brightly.)

_sugu ni tori modoseru ki ga shiteta dakishimetai_

_(Just like when we first met, I want to hold you...)_

(Footage: Doremi and Poppu are seen watching the starry skies from the front of their house. Hazuki and Aiko soon walk up, and the sisters just smile at the two girls.)

_hitohira no hanabira ga yurete iru boku no tonari de ima_

_(A single flower pedal brushes against my skin)_

(Footage: A single sakura pedal flies through the road, passing both Yumi and Onpu, who look a little confused. It then brushes past Kurumi's cheek, and she turns around quickly, looking both surprised and confused.)

_machigatta koi datta sonna koto omoitaku wa nai_

_(I just don't want to believe that our romance was a mistake)_

(Footage: The pedal flies past Riiko, who's on a swing by herself, and she perks up, looking in the direction the pedal went. We then skip to a scene of Ichiyou and Haruka, who seem content sleeping side by side against a stone wall as the sakura pedal passes them as well.)

_suki datta hazu datta itsu datte koe ga kikitaku naru hodo_

_(I thought I loved you, so I want to hear your voice more and more)_

(Footage: The pedal flies past Akemi and Moriko, and she quickly catches it. Moriko looks at a confused Akemi, and the two girls suddenly smile. Moriko then blows the pedal away into the wind.)

_sore nano ni te ga todoku saki no kimi ga mienaku narisouda_

_(And while my hand still reaches for yours, I still can't see the future that yours holds)_

(Footage: Nick, Momoko, Yuki, and Saiki are seen watching the moon as well. The sakura pedal soon blows past them into the water, causing the four to look down as it's pulled away by the water currents. They all look confused for a few moments, but Nick and Momoko just smile at each other and laugh.)

"Hey, Nick-kun?"

"Hm? What's up, Yuki-chan?"

"Well..."

Yuki blushed a bit, fiddling with her fingers. "We should probably help, and stay in Misora for a while..."

Nick and Momoko looked surprised, but smiled.

"Thanks, Yuki-chan."

Yuki smiled brightly. "Well, let's go then!!"

She then skipped ahead, Nick and Momoko following soon after.

Saiki stayed behind, and looked down at the sakura pedal still afloat in the currents. He smiled, shaking his head as the wind blew.

"Your daughter has really grown... She's become very beautiful... Even so much more than you imagined." He whispered, closing his eyes. "You were right, she sure is something special. And I promised that I would take care of Yuki-chan the second I met her."

Saiki opened his eyes halfway, a smile slipping across his face, like he was proud, but still somehow sad.

"If only you would have met her... She's absolutely everything you dreamed of, and she's so precious... So powerful, yet so fragile."

He put his hands together in a prayer.

"May your spirits rest in peace now... Koji-san. We all miss you, and I'll tell Yuki-chan everything soon enough, but for now..."

He looked back at Yuki, who was still pushing on resolutely. She then stopped, looking back.

"Saiki-kun!! Come on! I can't do this without you!"

The wizard just smiled.

_For now... I'll enjoy the sight of that beautiful smile of hers..._

"Coming, Yuki-chan."

"What were you doing back there anyway, Saiki-kun?" Nick couldn't help but ask, a little curious.

Saiki just shook his head. "Oh... Nothing much."

_Our part is done already... But our stories aren't done, just yet... There's still so much to do..._

He smiled again, going forward to take Yuki's hand.

_But... It won't hurt to take a break... But what can I do? I'm still not telling Yuki-chan the truth about her past..._

Saiki looked at Yuki, still so cheerful and full of life. He couldn't help but grin at the sight.

_No, for now..._

_I'm going to do my best, and just protect that smile._

_Destiny weaves, and unweaves... And now that I think about it, the second it falls, snow's always so pure and white... It makes everything look so beautiful..._

_But... It doesn't take much to taint the color, now does it?_

_~Owari~_

FINAL NOTES FROM S.P.D. GOLD RANGER: All right, at long last, _Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension_ is all wrapped up and complete!

Some people wonder why I take so long to write my stories, despite my promises to get them done as quick as possible. Simple, really: college can take up a lot of your free time. Also, as I indicated back when I started writing this story, my father passed away a few days before I started writing. I was actually surprised that I was able to keep up such a steady stream of my stories with everything that was going on back then. Me and my mom were all around the city, visiting old friends and just reminiscing about dad. So, I eventually came to a decision: when I started writing this story, I was going to dedicate it and all my future stories to him. He's always been a fan of the stuff I write.

Anyways, I'm glad you guys have been so patient with me, even with my long hiatus from _Magic Dimension_ after Yuki-chan and I finished _Yukizora no Tomodachi_. Something interesting that you may not know: there were originally planned to be three more chapters following "The Flower That Blooms In the Moonlight" and before this one, but I eventually decided to axe those chapters, having long since decided that I just wanted to get this freaking story done.

This may be the end of _Ojamajo Doremi Diamond and Pearl Magic Dimension_, but it's not the end of Nick and his friends' adventures just yet! The final part of the Diamond & Pearl trilogy, _Ojamajo Doremi: Race Against Time_, is being written as this is typed, so look forward to that!

Well, this is Nick signing out for now! See you on the other side of the computer screen!

Time to set sail,  
S.P.D. Gold Ranger


End file.
